Republican presidential primary front-runner Donald Trump has once again voiced his intention to roll back Obamacare, also known as the Affordable Care Act, if he is reelected as the president. Trump took to his social media platform, Truth Social, over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend to express his concerns regarding the skyrocketing costs and perceived shortcomings of Obamacare.
Trump’s statement reignites a contentious issue that has historically posed challenges for him and his party. According to a recent NBC News poll conducted from September 15-19, voters trust Democrats over Republicans when it comes to healthcare by a margin of 45% to 22%. Democrats also lag behind Republicans in areas such as the economy, immigration, and crime.
In the 2022 midterm elections, Republican candidates largely abandoned their calls for the elimination of the ACA after previous failed attempts, recognizing the potential political fallout. However, Trump appears willing to revive the issue in the upcoming 2024 election.
Highlighting previous Republican Senators who campaigned against the ACA for six years only to backtrack their stance, Trump vowed not to give up on repealing the law. This move represents a strategic opportunity for Democrats to push back against Trump’s rhetoric and build momentum for their own healthcare agenda.
President Joe Biden’s re-election campaign wasted no time in responding to Trump’s statement. Campaign spokesman, Ammar Moussa, emphasized that more than 40 million Americans currently have health insurance due to the Affordable Care Act. Moussa warned that Trump’s intention to repeal the law, which he was just one vote away from achieving during his previous term, should be taken seriously.
A Biden campaign adviser expressed their intention to capitalize on Trump’s renewed focus on dismantling the ACA. The adviser stated that no tactic would be spared in offsetting the potential damage caused by Trump’s agenda, as the campaign plans to portray it as part of a deeply unpopular Republican platform.
The 2017 repeal efforts led by Trump and a Republican-led Congress fell short. However, these endeavors triggered a backlash against the GOP in the following midterm elections. Healthcare ranked as the top concern for voters, and Democratic candidates received strong support, with a margin of 75% to 23%, according to NBC News exit polls.
Undeterred, Trump continued his efforts to undermine the ACA by endorsing a lawsuit at the Supreme Court in 2020. Ultimately, healthcare was once again a crucial issue for voters in the 2020 election, with those concerned about it favoring Biden over Trump by a margin of 62% to 37%, based on NBC News exit polls.
To achieve his goal of undoing the ACA, Trump would need to secure re-election in 2024 alongside a Republican-controlled Congress. The Department of Health and Human Services estimates that 40 million individuals in the United States have gained coverage through the law’s insurance subsidies, Medicaid expansion, and other provisions since its implementation in 2010.
Despite its initial unpopularity, the ACA has garnered greater public support as its popular provisions took effect. This includes consumer protections that prevent insurers from denying coverage or charging higher premiums based on pre-existing conditions, as well as policies allowing young adults to stay on their parent’s insurance plans until the age of 27.
Biden’s campaign plans to emphasize these key provisions and frame Trump’s America as one where millions could lose their health insurance and face exorbitant costs for maintaining their well-being. The stakes, according to Moussa, are high for the upcoming election.
