Trump Talks Preexisting Conditions, Abortion And Veterans Health Care As He Kicks Off 2020 Re-Election Bid
President Donald Trump officially opened his 2020 campaign Tuesday with a rally in Orlando, Fla. In his speech, he took credit for a veterans' health bill that was signed by former President Barack Obama, offered promises to protect preexisting conditions coverage, and gave a toned-down version of his talking points about babies who are born alive following failed abortion procedures.
The New York Times:
Trump, At Rally In Florida, Kicks Off His 2020 Re-Election Bid
President Trump delivered a fierce denunciation of the news media, the political establishment and what he called his radical opponents on Tuesday as he opened his re-election campaign in front of a huge crowd of raucous supporters by evoking the dark messaging and personal grievances that animated his 2016 victory. ... At times, Mr. Trump seemed like any other incumbent president, ticking off a laundry list of claimed accomplishments on veterans’ health care, funding for the military, abandoning the Paris climate accords and defending gun rights. The frenzied crowd seemed to lose some of its passion during those moments. (Haberman, Karni and Shear, 6/18)
The Associated Press Fact Check:
In 2020 Debut, Trump Exaggerates Growth
Trump and other Republicans say they'll have a plan to preserve protections for people with pre-existing conditions, but the White House has provided no details. Obama's law requires insurers to take all applicants, regardless of medical history, and patients with health problems pay the same standard premiums as healthy ones. Bills supported in 2017 by Trump and congressional Republicans to repeal the law would have undermined those protections by pushing up costs for people with pre-existing conditions. (Woodward and Yen, 6/18)
The Hill:
Trump Takes Credit For Passing Veterans Bill That Passed Under Obama
President Trump at his 2020 campaign kickoff rally on Tuesday took credit for passing a veteran's health care bill that was signed into law by former President Obama. "We passed VA Choice," he said, referring to a bill that allows veterans to seek health options outside the Veterans Affairs-run system. "You go out now, you get a doctor, you fix yourself up, the doctor sends us the bill, we pay for it. And you know what? It doesn't matter because the life and the veteran is more important, but we also happen to save a lot of money doing that." (Frazin, 6/18)
