President Donald Trump has a new shutdown-era solution: take federal healthcare money away from insurance companies and hand it straight to Americans.
In a fiery Truth Social post on Saturday morning, Trump urged Senate Republicans to “cut off” what he called “hundreds of billions of dollars” that currently flow to insurers under the Affordable Care Act and instead put that cash directly in the pockets of consumers.
“I am recommending to Senate Republicans that the Hundreds of Billions of Dollars currently being sent to money sucking Insurance Companies… BE SENT DIRECTLY TO THE PEOPLE,” Trump wrote, claiming Americans could then “purchase their own, much better healthcare, and have money left over.”
“So basically,” he continued, “take from the BIG, BAD Insurance Companies, give it to the people, and terminate… the worst Healthcare anywhere in the World, ObamaCare.”
The post dropped just hours before the Senate reconvened following Friday’s failed vote to restore pay for federal workers during the now record-breaking government shutdown. Washington has been at a standstill as Republicans and Democrats continue to clash over how—and when—to restart government operations.
Democrats say they will not agree to any funding bill that doesn’t include healthcare subsidies set to expire for 24 million Americans at the end of the year. Republicans, meanwhile, insist the government must reopen first, and argue Democrats are trying to use the shutdown as leverage.
According to reporting from Reuters, neither the White House nor congressional leadership immediately commented on Trump’s proposal.
But the idea raises more questions than answers: Who would receive the payments? How would the government determine the amounts? And would this effectively dismantle the Affordable Care Act entirely?
Trump didn’t explain any of that, but he did make one thing clear — he sees this fight as a chance to finally gut Obamacare.
Whether Republicans actually adopt the plan remains to be seen. But with the shutdown dragging on and millions of Americans facing delayed paychecks, expired benefits, and looming medical bills, the pressure for someone to fold — or jump — is rapidly intensifying.
Screenshot via Truth Social –
