DON JR. CAN’T SPIN TRUMP’S HEALTH CARE ATTACKS
In response to Donald Trump Jr.’s appearance in Tipp City today, Ohio Democratic Party Chair David Pepper released the following statement:
“Last night — as Don Jr. flouted the Cleveland Clinic’s mask guidance — Ohioans didn’t hear a word from Donald Trump on how he’s going to protect our health care. That’s because he’s in court fighting to strip away health coverage from hundreds of thousands of Ohioans and deny protections to millions more with pre-existing conditions like asthma, cancer and COVID-19. Don Jr. can’t spin that reality, and he can’t spin his dad’s record of broken promises to working families in Ohio. We deserve a leader who will expand access to quality, affordable health care — not rip it away in the middle of a worsening pandemic. This November, Ohioans are sending Joe Biden to the White House and putting an end to this failed presidency.”
BACKGROUND ON TRUMP’S BROKEN PROMISES TO OHIO
Promise: “We’re going to approve and get something that is so much less expensive and so good. A great health care system, a system that you deserve. That’s what we’re going to be doing.” [Cleveland, Oct. 22, 2016]
- Reality: Even in the midst of a global pandemic, Trump and the Republican Party are attempting to overturn the Affordable Care Act — endangering health coverage for 741,000 Ohioans and threatening protections for as many as 5 million Ohioans with pre-existing conditions. The Ohio Hospital Association has warned that repealing the ACA would put a quarter of the state’s hospitals at risk of closure.
- Reality: Trump’s constant attacks on the Affordable Care Act are already taking a toll on the Buckeye State, as Ohio was one of eight states that saw its uninsured rate jump in 2018. The number of uninsured Ohio children increased by 30,000 from 2016 to 2018.
Promise: “We’re attacking the virus from every angle. And through this aggressive strategy, we will win the war, and it will happen sooner than people think.” [Clyde, Aug. 6, 2020]
- Reality: After Trump wasted time ignoring his own advisors and downplaying the coronavirus pandemic, the United States leads the world with over 7 million cases and more than 200,000 deaths. In Ohio alone, more than 150,000 people have contracted the virus, and more than 4,700 have lost their lives.
- Reality: Even as experts warned of a coming pandemic, Trump sent record shipments of N95 masks overseas. As the Washington Post reported, a shortage of N95 masks still persists six months into the pandemic, “leaving health care workers exposed, patients at risk and public health experts flummoxed over a seemingly simple question: Why is the world’s richest country still struggling to meet the demand for an item that once cost around $1 apiece?”
Image by Gage Skidmore is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0
