In response to MAGA Republicans once again calling to repeal the Affordable Care Act, DNC National Press Secretary Sarafina Chitika released the following statement: 

“Millions of Americans have relied on the Affordable Care Act for over a decade, but that didn’t stop MAGA Republicans – from Donald Trump to Ron DeSantis to members of Congress – from tripling down this weekend on their calls to repeal it. Getting rid of this landmark legislation would leave millions of Americans without health care and subject millions more to skyrocketing health care costs. Time and time again, hardworking Americans have made it clear that repealing the Affordable Care Act is a losing agenda for the GOP – and they’ll show it once again next November.” 

This weekend, Donald Trump once again called to rip away affordable health care from millions of Americans. 

Trump: “ Obamacare is a disaster. And I said, ‘We’re gonna do something about it.’”

And Ron DeSantis is the latest 2024 Republican to echo Trump’s calls to repeal the Affordable Care Act – and he’s even promised to “do a lot more.” 

Justin Dougherty, Fox Carolina News: “The conversation about the Affordable Care Act — repealing and replacing it — has come up once again. Republicans failed to repeal it or replace it in 2017. If Republicans get control of Washington, [with] you in the White House, what’s your plan to repeal or replace the Affordable Care Act?”

DeSantis: “Well, look, that was a big failure. Obviously, under the Trump administration, that was a core promise — it didn’t happen. You know, what we’re gonna do is we have this massive health care bureaucracy: pharmaceutical, government, insurance, all this stuff. It’s a total mess. We’re gonna have a comprehensive plan to lower people’s costs, and yes, Obamacare hasn’t done it, so we’ll transcend Obamacare, but I think you got to do a lot more than just that.”

Trump has called for his MAGA minions to “never give up” in their efforts to “terminate” the landmark legislation. 

Daily Beast: “Trump Revives Plan to Dismantle Obamacare if Elected in 2024”

The Messenger: “Former President Donald Trump said he is ‘seriously looking at alternatives’ to Obamacare in a new post on his social media platform Truth Social. He also called it a ‘low point for the Republican Party’ that lawmakers failed to ‘terminate’ the health insurance program established by the Affordable Care Act. According to the latest figures this year, more than 40 million Americans rely on the program for those who can’t afford private plans.”

Trump: “The cost of Obamacare is out of control, plus, it’s not good Healthcare. I’m seriously looking at alternatives. We had a couple of Republican Senators who campaigned for 6 years against it, and then raised their hands not to terminate it. It was a low point for the Republican Party, but we should never give up!”

Trump’s MAGA minions on the Hill are open to reviving attempts to repeal the ACA. 

Dana Bash, CNN: “Let’s talk about the 2024 campaign trail. Donald Trump called Obamacare a disaster last night in Iowa after reiterating his calls to repeal it. You of course voted to repeal Obamacare when Trump was president. Do you think that this is a winning issue right now? Would you like to see another vote again? 

Graham: “Yeah. Good question. This is what we tried to do when Trump was president. Let’s block grant the money.” 

Axios: “‘I think Obamacare has been one of the biggest deceptions on the American people,” said Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas). ‘I mean just look at your health care premiums.’ But he added he would ‘be interested to hear exactly how’ Trump would approach repeal.

Sen. Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), who’s in line to run the Finance Committee if the GOP retakes the Senate, said he’s open to plans that were similar to the 2017 repeal and replace bills.”

Let’s be clear: Up to 135 million people with preexisting conditions could be subject to discrimination by health insurance companies if MAGA Republicans get their way. 

Center for American Progress: “According to new estimates from the Center for American Progress, 135 million people under age 65, or about half of nonelderly people, have a preexisting condition that an insurer could use to discriminate against them if they ever sought coverage through the individual market in the absence of ACA protections.”

KFF Poll: “Majorities of Democrats [88%], Republicans [62%], and independents [73%] say it is ‘very important’ to continue each of [the Affordable Care Act’s] protections for people with pre-existing conditions.”

MAGA Republicans continue to push their deeply unpopular MAGA agenda – including getting rid of the ACA – even though millions of Americans’ lives would be greatly impacted if it was repealed. 

Jon Favreau: “If Trump wins, 40 million people could lose their health care, and insurance companies would get to deny coverage to people with pre-existing conditions. If Biden wins, that…won’t happen.”

KFF Poll: 64% of Americans believe it is “very important” insurance companies continue to be prohibited from charging sick people more — including 55% of Republicans. 

NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist Poll: “Thirteen years after the Affordable Care Act was signed into law, more than eight in ten Americans (83%) either agree or strongly agree that all Americans have a basic right to healthcare coverage.”

Bryan Bennett, Navigator Research: “Per our October @NavigatorSurvey research, repealing the ACA (and January 6) remain the top concerns about Trump’s first term as president”

Washington Post: “But what’s clear is that an effort to ‘terminate’ Obamacare is not something Americans are pining for. Not only were the GOP’s efforts to repeal and replace Obamacare during Trump’s term historically unpopular, but the law also appears to have gotten more popular since then. … And when politicians talk of ending health insurance for tens of millions of Americans, dropping coverage of preexisting conditions and cutting Obamacare’s Medicaid funding, things get even dicier.”