Donald Trump's stranger-than-fiction campaign is kicking many traditional Republican talking points to the curb in favor of a unique brand of populist nationalism. But the candidate and the party establishment apparently agree, at least for the moment, that Obamacare will be a central line of attack for Republicans this fall.
The Hill reports that Trump and Senate Republicans have discussed framing rising premiums and other unhappy aspects of the health care landscape as the direct result of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act in their fights against Senate Democratic candidates and Hillary Clinton.
Beyond agreeing that the landmark health law has to go, however, there may be little similarity between what Trump and other members of his party are saying about health care this year. Trump's statements on the issue have been contradictory and muddled, and have included promises that the government can guarantee universal coverage that one typically associates with the left.
Recommended For You
Although the PPACA has been a central theme in GOP campaigns during the past three election cycles, the issue has been overshadowed during the Republican presidential primary by immigration, terrorism and, above all else, Trump's own bizarre behavior.
Even before it was apparent that their party was going to be hijacked by a newcomer with little commitment to their ideology, Republicans were starting to rethink their approach to Obamacare, recognizing that, for better or worse, millions had gained coverage through the law. A number of Republican-run states reversed their initial rejection of the federally-funded Medicaid expansion.
But as insurers that are struggling to turn a profit on the PPACA individual marketplace signal that they will either leave the marketplace or dramatically hike premiums, Republicans once again smell blood. It remains far from clear what most Republicans, let alone Trump, envision as a replacement for the law, but as the GOP primary has aptly demonstrated, detailed policy plans are not a prerequisite for electoral success.
© 2025 ALM Global, LLC, All Rights Reserved. Request academic re-use from www.copyright.com. All other uses, submit a request to [email protected]. For more information visit Asset & Logo Licensing.
