Last night on Air Force One, Donald Trump pushed back against the White House’s health care plan flop on extending the Affordable Care Act enhanced premium tax credits earlier this week, declaring that “somebody said that I want to extend them for two years. I don’t want to extend them for two years. I’d rather not extend them at all.”  

In just 36 days, 22 million Americans will be hit with health care premiums that are more expensive by an average of 114%, on top of the tens of millions of Americans who will lose coverage through Medicaid as a result of Trump’s budget bill. 

Americans blame Trump and Republicans by a margin of 26 points for health care premium increases. If Trump and Republicans cared about lowering health care costs, they would be working with Democrats on a permanent extension of the enhanced ACA premium tax credits millions of Americans rely on. 

In response, DNC Rapid Response Director Kendall Witmer released the following statement: 

“With just 36 days until millions are faced with sky-high premiums, Donald Trump revealed he has no intention of averting the health care crisis of his own making because he’d simply ‘rather not.’ This Thanksgiving, Americans are coming face-to-face with high inflation and skyrocketing costs, and they are being forced to make tough choices when they should be celebrating with friends and family. Regardless of how loudly everyday Americans beg for relief from Trump’s unaffordable economy, Trump’s attention is everywhere else. Trump doesn’t give a shit about anything except his pet projects, and Americans know they’re footing the bill for Trump’s failed policies that only serve him and his billionaire friends.”