Health Care In Crisis: RNC Chaos Presidency Fact Sheet

August 26, 2020

Trump has failed to contain COVID-19 because he didn’t listen to experts, didn’t take it seriously, and didn’t have a plan. Now he wants to repeal health care for millions, including protections for millions of people with preexisting conditions, during a pandemic.

  • We have surpassed 5 million cases and 170,000 deaths in the United States, but Trump still does not have a plan to contain the virus.

    • The U.S. is less than 5% of the world’s population but over 20% of COVID-19 deaths.

  • Trump still claims the virus will just “disappear,” has promoted unproven treatments instead of social distancing and masks, and has called for a slowdown in testing.

  • Trump continues to try to repeal Obamacare, which provides health insurance to 20 million Americans. If he succeeds, insurance companies could reject coverage for up to 133 million Americans due to a preexisting condition — all in the midst of a pandemic.

  • Joe Biden and Kamala Harris want to build on Obamacare, expand affordable coverage, lower prescription drug costs and ensure a no-cost COVID vaccine.

Trump’s continued failure to mount an effective pandemic response has exacerbated the public health consequences of coronavirus, which has killed more than 178,000 Americans.

  • Trump has failed to lead a national response to the coronavirus, resulting in ever-increasing cases and deaths, and the U.S. experiencing the world’s worst coronavirus outbreak.

  • Trump failed to implement a national testing strategy, even suggesting he told aides to slow down the testing to paint a rosier picture, and he refuses to take responsibility for his response.

  • The U.S. response to the virus was hindered by the Trump administration’s early testing failures, and months later, states are still struggling to get testing supplies in the absence of a national strategy.

  • Trump was slow to ensure that the nation had the medical supplies it needed to combat the virus and those shortages are still plaguing the country’s response.

  • At every turn, Trump has downplayed the virus, refused to listen to medical experts, and put his incompetence on full display.

  • Trump prematurely pushed to reopen the country, without ensuring it could be done safely, when the virus was still circulating at a high rate, leading to a summer resurgence that set new records.

  • Now, the Trump administration is failing to prepare for the massive distribution and education campaign needed to bring a coronavirus vaccine to the American people.

Despite the pandemic, Trump has continued his reckless effort to terminate the Affordable Care Act, putting coverage and preexisting condition protections at risk when they’re most needed.

  • Even a pandemic that has sickened millions of Americans and killed over 170,000 has not deterred Trump from his attempt to overturn and sabotage the Affordable Care Act.

  • The ACA has been a lifeline during the pandemic, and many coronavirus patients experience long-term complications that could qualify as preexisting conditions and lead to denied coverage if Trump’s lawsuit succeeds.

  • Trump’s lawsuit to overturn the ACA threatens to end the Medicaid expansion program that brought coverage to 12 million Americans, improved health outcomes, and helped reduce racial disparities.

  • Trump’s effort to overturn the ACA risks raising out-of-pocket prescription drug costs for many seniors on Medicare.

  • Trump’s effort to repeal the ACA could also weaken resident protections at nursing homes, limit options for seniors, and strip health care from employees.