“I Hope That They End It:” In The Battlegrounds, Trump Slammed For Latest Attack On The Affordable Care Act

Ahead of tonight’s presidential debate, Donald Trump admitted in a 60 Minutes interview that he hopes the U.S. Supreme Court overturns the Affordable Care Act. Across the battleground states, Democrats slammed his comments and highlighted his continued attacks on working families’ health care.

See for yourself:

In Arizona:

Former McCain Staffer Bettina Nava: “Regarding the 60 Minutes tape that came out this morning — Trump has always tried to claim he is going to replace the Affordable Care Act. But the tapes that were released prove that the ACA is on the ballot in 2020. With such high unemployment and people under duress, we can expect that the President will try to circumvent on the debate stage what we know: that he wants to eviscerate the Affordable Care Act.”

In Georgia:

Dr. Karen Kinsell: “Now, just this morning, Trump was caught on tape advocating for the Supreme Court to overturn the Affordable Care Act, ripping health care away from millions. I remember the days where people couldn’t get coverage because they had pre-existing conditions and they were horrendous. That’s why we have to elect Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, and Democrats up and down the ballot who will defend protections for pre-existing conditions, not destroy them.”

In Maine:

Maine Democratic Party Chair Kathleen Marra: “Prior to tonight’s debate, Donald Trump once again confirmed for Mainers that his only plan for health care is to take ours away.  Over the last four years, Trump has repeatedly attempted to dismantle the Affordable Care Act, while offering no alternative plan to protect the millions of Americans with pre-existing conditions. Tonight, Trump will have to explain to Maine people why he’s demanding the Supreme Court strike down the entire health care law that threatens to immediately rip away coverage from more than 100,000 Mainers.”

In North Carolina:

Health Care Activist and Mother Stacy Staggs: “President Trump’s admission today isn’t a surprise at all — but it should be a stinging reminder that he and his Republican allies are committed to tearing apart the Affordable Care Act at all costs, no matter how many working families are destroyed in the process. My twin daughters were born at 28 weeks and require medical care we could never afford if not for the ACA. Donald Trump’s heartless crusade to destroy this law is putting my family in financial jeopardy and putting my daughters’ lives at risk. The fact that he has no plan to replace the ACA is all the more evidence that Trump just doesn’t care about families like mine.”

In Pennsylvania:

Pennsylvania Democrats: “As President Trump appears before a national audience for one of the last times on the campaign trail tonight when he takes the stage for the final presidential debate, Pennsylvanians — and voters everywhere — still want to hear answers from him on questions like these … In a 60 minutes interview this week, you said that you ‘hope [the Supreme Court] ends’ the Affordable Care Act when they hear your lawsuit the week after the election. Ending it would rip away protections for pre-existing conditions like asthma and diabetes for as many as 5.3 million Pennsylvanians, so how do you still not have a plan to replace that?”

In Virginia:

Virginia Democratic Party Press Secretary Hannah Muldavin: “With less than two weeks remaining in the campaign, it’s clear that President Trump’s final message is the same one he’s been using for the last four years: he hopes to end Americans’ health care as we know it, and he still doesn’t have a plan to replace it. If the Supreme Court follows through on Trump’s hopes and sides with his lawsuit to strike down the Affordable Care Act, 3.5 million Virginians with pre-existing conditions like diabetes, asthma, or COVID-19 will be at risk of losing their health care. Trump has never been afraid to say the quiet part out loud, so now that he’s done just that on health care, it’s our turn: On November 3rd, Virginians are going to end his incompetent administration.”

In Wisconsin:

Democratic Party of Wisconsin Spokesperson Philip Shulman: “Trump has once again said the quiet part out loud, admitting that his closing campaign argument is about tearing apart the Affordable Care Act and stripping protections for the 2.4 million Wisconsinites with pre-existing conditions and the 150,000 who get their health care through the exchange. Even in the middle of a pandemic, Trump’s cruelty knows no bounds, and he would leave Wisconsinites struggling to get the health care they need. His failed response to the COVID-19 pandemic has also cratered our economy, stripping employer-provided insurance, and making it even more difficult for those who lost their job to get the coverage they need. Across the state, voters are turning in their ballots in support of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris as they know they can’t afford four more years of Trump’s failed leadership.”