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Washington, DC — Five years ago today Donald Trump descended down his golden escalator at Trump Tower and in his first ever presidential campaign speech vowed to take American health care down with him. In the years following, President Trump has worked tirelessly to fulfill his pledge to rip health care away from Americans by trying relentlessly to overturn the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and take coverage from 20 million Americans and protections for 135 million with pre-existing conditions. Five years later, President Trump is still waging his war on Americans’ health care as the nation struggles in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic. In response to this fateful anniversary, Protect Our Care Executive Director Brad Woodhouse released the following statement: 

“Five years ago today Donald Trump descended down his golden escalator and vowed to rip apart American health care. Candidate Trump’s first campaign speech told Americans all they needed to know about the threat that President Trump would pose to their health care. In the years since, Trump has remained dead-set on destroying health care by trying time and again to overturn the ACA and take health care from 20 million Americans and protections for 135 million through both Congress and the courts. And while America’s health care system is still standing, President Trump has caused millions of Americans to live in constant fear of having their health care taken away, and has succeeded in making coverage less affordable and accessible all while lining the pockets of insurance companies with massive tax breaks as they raise costs on Americans. President Trump’s disastrous agenda has been made worse by his failed response to the coronavirus which has shown just how destructive his years-long war on health care has been for Americans. 

“Our country cannot afford another four years of Donald Trump’s disastrous health care agenda. The America we have today is defined by one act of Trump’s sabotage after another, and while this is no anniversary to celebrate, it’s a stark reminder of the existential threat of Trump’s war on health care, especially as the nation grapples with the worst public health crisis in a generation.” 

BACKGROUND: 

Tracking Trump’s Health Care Sabotage: Exhaustive Look at Trump’s Legacy-Defining War On America’s Health Care

Washington, DC — This afternoon, President Trump is holding a seniors roundtable event at the White House in response to his declining poll numbers with older Americans. As detailed in Protect Our Care’s “Seniors At Risk” report, President Trump’s failed response to the coronavirus and overall sabotage of Americans’ health care has meant seniors have experienced disproportionate impacts from the pandemic and Trump’s threats to Medicare, Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act have threatened seniors’ health across the board. Ahead of today’s roundtable, Protect Our Care Executive Director Brad Woodhouse issued the following statement: 

“The only reason Donald Trump is holding this event today is because he is losing the support of America’s seniors who are worried about their health care and know that President Trump has left them behind. President Trump’s ongoing war on health care coupled with his disastrous coronavirus response has put seniors’ lives in danger. Even before the pandemic began, the Trump administration and their Republican allies’ relentless attacks on the Affordable Care Act, Medicaid and Medicare have hurt American seniors. With seniors bearing the brunt of this botched response to the coronavirus, it’s plain to see why they are no longer supporting the re-election of this disastrous president.” 

BACKGROUND:

Top Ways Trump Has Sabotaged Seniors’ Health Care

• Trump Is Backing A Lawsuit That Would Overturn The ACA, Which Would Cause Seniors To Pay More For Insurance And Prescription Drugs. Perhaps the most imminent threat to seniors’ health care, Trump’s lawsuit seeking to overturn the ACA would rip away coverage from 20 million people nationwide and eliminate protections for 135 million people with pre-existing conditions overnight. The lawsuit would also terminate Medicaid expansion and force people over the age of 50 to face a $4,000 “age tax” and to pay more for prescription drugs. 
• Trump Is Refusing To Open A Special Enrollment Period, Which Could Help Seniors Get The Health Care They Need. Despite calls from health insurers, lawmakers, and AARP, President Trump has refused to open a Special Enrollment Period (SEP) to help the uninsured obtain coverage. Research confirms that between 1.8 and 2.4 million people would likely gain coverage if Trump opened a special enrollment period. Per the New York Times: “…the administration has also hampered some of its own efforts to appeal to older voters. Mr. Trump recently rejected an expanded enrollment period for the newly uninsured, for instance.”
• Trump Has Repeatedly Called For Medicare Cuts. Ahead of the pandemic, Trump made it clear he remained open to slashing benefits for vital programs like Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security during an interview with CNBC at the World Economic Forum. Trump has repeatedly proposed steep budget cuts to the program to help pay for his tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans. 
• Trump Has Waged A War On Medicaid, Threatening Care For Seniors In Nursing Homes And Long-Term Care Facilities And The Economic Stability Of Families. Trump has spent his presidency sabotaging the Medicaid program, which has particularly devastating consequences for older adults. Between imposing strict paperwork requirements for enrollment and proposing steep budget cuts, Trump’s policies have done nothing but shrink enrollment. More than 15 million American seniors and older adults rely on Medicaid for coverage.
• Trump Refuses To Allow Medicare To Negotiate For Lower Drug Prices. As the cost of prescription drugs skyrocket, President Trump and his Republican allies in Congress refuse to allow Medicare to negotiate for lower prescription drug prices. Seniors often live on fixed incomes, and the high cost of drugs can make accessing essential medications out of reach. Nearly 9 in 10 Americans support allowing Medicare to negotiate for lower drug costs for seniors. Despite numerous campaign promises, the Trump administration opposes House Democrats’ plan to allow negotiation and other important measures lower drug costs for seniors.

 

Washington, DC — Today, the Department of Health and Human Services issued a final rule to weaken enforcement of the Health Care Rights Law (section 1557 of the ACA), which bans discrimination against LGBTQ Americans and women in health care and insurance coverage. Protect Our Care Chair Leslie Dach issued the following statement in response:

“It’s shameful that the Trump administration chose Pride Month to attack protections for LGBTQ Americans, same-sex parents, pregnant people and other vulnerable patients by making it harder for them get the medical care they deserve. Every American, regardless of sex, sexual orientation or gender identity deserves access to quality and affordable health care — especially as the coronavirus pandemic rages across the country. It’s past time for the Trump administration to quit playing cruel political games that put Americans’ health and safety at risk.”

New Fact Sheet From Protect Our Care Details the Trump Administration’s Failure to Prepare for the Spread of the Virus and the Resulting Devastation Veterans and Their Families

Fact Sheet: Trump Is Failing Veterans on Coronavirus

Washington, DC — Today, Protect Our Care is releasing a new fact sheet detailing how the Trump administration’s failure to adequately respond to the coronavirus crisis was a key factor in thousands of deaths of veterans across the country. America’s veterans, especially those at veterans homes and in VA hospitals, are particularly vulnerable to the coronavirus pandemic due to serious shortages of PPE and an insufficient supply of medications, staff and equipment available to treat veterans with COVID-19. This fact sheet puts a spotlight on the Trump administration’s deficiencies in providing adequate care to veterans by squandering precious time and resources while thousands of veterans died under their watch.

“America’s veterans deserve better than to be let down by Donald Trump’s failure to ensure the VA had resources it needed to fight the coronavirus head on,” said Protect Our Care Executive Director Brad Woodhouse. “President Trump squandered precious time in the fight against the coronavirus and his administration’s failure to prepare for the pandemic led to thousands of avoidable deaths among our nation’s veterans. In order to ensure the health and safety of the millions of veterans who have put their lives on the line for our country, we need to make sure that VA hospitals and veterans homes receive the resources they need to treat every American veteran suffering from and recovering from coronavirus.” 

Washington, DC — At a press conference this morning, Speaker Pelosi announced that the House will vote this month on legislation to make health care more affordable, protect people with pre-existing conditions, and expand the number of Americans with health insurance. Building on the Affordable Care Act is particularly critical in the wake of the coronavirus crisis. The House will vote the same month the Trump administration will be filing briefs in support of their lawsuit to overturn the ACA and rip health care from 20 million Americans and protections for 135 million with pre-existing conditions. In response to this announcement, Protect Our Care Chair Leslie Dach issued the following statement: 

“The legislation announced by Speaker Pelosi will make health care more affordable, dramatically increase the number of people insured, and protect people with pre-existing conditions from Donald Trump’s efforts to rip away their protections. Building on the Affordable Care Act will also help reduce the racial disparities prevalent in health care today. Substantial bipartisan majorities of the American public support these important steps. 

“House Democrats’ commitment to ensuring all Americans have access to affordable quality health care stands in stark contrast to Donald Trump’s promise to terminate the Affordable Care Act in the courts in the middle of the coronavirus epidemic. Donald Trump and his enablers in Congress want to take coverage away from 20 million Americans when 27 million have already lost their employer based health insurance, and rip coverage away from 135 million Americans with a pre-existing condition. Eliminating protections for pre-existing conditions could leave people who contract the coronavirus at the mercy of their insurance company.

“Democrats are listening to the specific concerns of Americans who are more worried than ever about their health. It’s no wonder Americans don’t trust Donald Trump or his Republican enablers when it comes to their number one concern – health care.”

New national polling makes clear that the majority of Americans are rejecting President Trump’s leadership as the coronavirus crisis shows no signs of stopping and nationwide protests highlight his failure to bring the country together. With over 100,000 Americans dead, 21 million still unemployed and the country on track to hit 2 million coronavirus cases this week, Americans are fed up with Trump’s chaotic response to this crisis and disastrous presidency.

Wall Street Journal/NBC News Poll: “55% of voters disapproved of Trump’s handling of the virus, up from 52% in April and 51% in March.”

CNN Poll: “Overall 38% approve of the way Trump is handling the presidency, while 57% disapprove…Biden also outpaces Trump overall on handling coronavirus (55% to 41%), and on leading the nation in times of crisis (55% to 41%).”

ABC News/Ipsos Poll: “Trump’s approval for his stewardship over the nation’s response to the outbreak remains at a record low 39%. Six in 10 Americans disapprove of the president’s handling of the virus.”

Older Americans have suffered for years under President Trump’s health care agenda and his disastrous coronavirus response effort has put them at grave risk during this public health crisis. Four out of five coronavirus deaths have been Americans over 65. From the start President Trump has downplayed the coronavirus crisis, refused to listen to experts and failed to provide adequate testing and personal protective equipment, resulting in the unnecessary deaths of tens of thousands of older Americans. As news reports made clear this week, Trump’s failure of leadership on coronavirus is hurting him with this critical block of voters, and will undoubtedly continue to do so.

NBC News: Trump Finds Himself Playing Campaign Defense With Core Elements Of His Base. “Trump’s weakening appeal with seniors following his response to the coronavirus is hurting him particularly hard in Florida, where 21 percent of voters are 65 and older. In 2016, Trump won the senior vote in the state by 17 points over Hillary Clinton, but he leads Biden among that group by just 4 points, according to a Florida Atlantic University poll this month. In a separate survey, Biden held a 10-point lead over Trump among seniors, according to an April poll of Floridians by Quinnipiac University.” [NBC News, 5/27/20] 

Philadelphia Inquirer: Some Pa. Seniors Are Turning On Trump. That Could Be A Problem For His Reelection. “Trump, who needs to win states like Pennsylvania and hopes to hold onto supporters like Banion, may have a lurking problem. National polling averages show he’s in a relative dead heat with Joe Biden among voters over 65, a group he won by 10 points in 2016. In recent polling of Pennsylvania voters, Trump comes up a few points short of Biden with voters over 45, according to an April Fox poll.” [Philadelphia Inquirer, 5/26/20] 

• Chris Borick, Pollster At Muhlenberg College In Allentown, Said “Seniors Have Felt The Wrath Of This Pandemic More Than Any Other Age Cohort.” “‘Seniors have felt the wrath of this pandemic more than any other age cohort’ said Chris Borick, a pollster at Muhlenberg College in Allentown. ‘By numbers and health effects, it’s been devastating. The concern levels we’ve seen, when we’ve polled, are highest among seniors, and that, of course, could be bleeding into their appraisal of the president.’” [Philadelphia Inquirer, 5/26/20] 

Washington Post: In Crucial Florida, Some Senior Voters Cast A Skeptical Eye Toward Trump’s Reelection. “Yet for months, Biden has been more popular than Trump with seniors. A national poll of registered voters released by Quinnipiac University last week shows Biden leading by 10 points among voters over 65. A Quinnipiac poll in late April found 52 percent of Florida seniors supporting Biden to 42 percent for Trump, while a Fox News poll around the same time found Biden narrowly ahead.” [Washington Post, 5/25/20] 

• “The Skepticism Toward The President Among Some Seniors Comes As Their Lives Have Been Drastically Altered By The Coronavirus, Which Has Swept Through Nursing Homes And Retirement Communities Across The County.” “The skepticism toward the president among some seniors comes as their lives have been drastically altered by the coronavirus, which has swept through nursing homes and retirement communities across the country. In Florida, more than 80 percent of the 2,000-plus people killed by the virus have been over age 65, according to an analysis by the Tampa Bay Times.” [Washington Post, 5/25/20]

Washington Post (Opinion): Trump’s Poor Handling Of The Crisis May Lose Him The GOP’s Most Reliable Voters. “With President Trump’s inept and erratic handling of the novel coronavirus pandemic, he is rapidly losing support among the age group most vulnerable to its ravages — which is a big warning sign to Republicans as they look to the fall. Trump has also been showing slippage in support among the next-oldest cohort, those 55 and older. The shift has been showing up in a string of recent polls, reportedly including those that have been conducted by Trump’s own campaign.” [Washington Post, 5/25/20] 

Washington Post (Opinion): America’s Seniors, Sacrificed On The Altar Of Reopening. “Back in March, three-fifths of those 65 and over approved of the federal government’s response to the pandemic. Now a majority of that age group disapprove. Poll after poll has shown Trump in the past two months losing his lead among 65-and-over voters, a crucial demographic for Republicans, both nationally and in battleground states. The political handicapping site FiveThirtyEight observes that Trump won voters 65 and older by 13.3 percentage points in 2016. At the moment, Trump trails Biden by 1.0 points among such voters in an average of national polls — an enormous swing.” [Washington Post, 5/22/20] 

New York Times: Anxious About the Virus, Older Voters Grow More Wary of Trump. “For years, Republicans and Mr. Trump have relied on older Americans, the country’s largest voting bloc, to offset a huge advantage Democrats enjoy with younger voters. In critical states like Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and Florida, all of which have large older populations, Mr. Trump’s advantage with older voters has been essential to his political success; in 2016, he won voters over the age of 65 by seven percentage points, according to national exit poll data.But seniors are also the most vulnerable to the global pandemic, and the campaign’s internal polls, people familiar with the numbers said, show Mr. Trump’s support among voters over the age of 65 softening to a concerning degree, as he pushes to reopen the country’s economy at the expense of stopping a virus that puts them at the greatest risk.” [New York Times, 5/19/20] 

• New York Times: By Rejecting To Open A Special Enrollment Period, The Trump Administration “Has Also Hampered Some Of Its Own Efforts To Appeal To Older Voters.” “But the administration has also hampered some of its own efforts to appeal to older voters. Mr. Trump recently rejected an expanded enrollment period for the newly uninsured, for instance.” [New York Times, 5/19/20] 

Al Jazeera: In Key Us State Of Florida, Trump Stumbles Among Senior Voters. ”Trump has virtually no path to victory without winning Florida, and older voters are key to that effort. Older voters make up an outsize share of the voting population in the state, where Trump defeated Democratic rival Hillary Clinton by just over 1 percentage point in 2016. Trump carried voters 65 and older in the state by 9 percentage points, according to a Pew Research Center analysis. Some Republicans warn that could be tough for Trump to repeat as the public health and economic fallout of the pandemic deepens.” [Al Jazaeera, 5/15/20] 

The Hill (Opinion): Seniors Will Make Donald Trump A One-Term President. “Despite being a ‘senior citizen’ himself, many Americans in the president’s age group have recently soured on him, especially in light of his administration’s response to COVID-19. Back in mid-March, Americans over 65 years old ‘approved of Trump’s handling of the outbreak at a higher rate than any other age group,; according to Morning Consult. Just a month later, that specific COVID-19 response approval rating dropped 20 points and is now lower than any other age group, except for 18 to 29-year-olds. By a 6-to-1 margin in that same survey, older Americans say that government should prioritize the coronavirus health response and mitigation of the virus above the economic focus.” [The Hill, 5/26/20] 

Read the “Seniors At Risk” Report Here

Washington, DC — On a press call this morning, Senator Bob Casey (D-PA), the Alliance for Retired Americans and Protect Our Care discussed how President Trump’s health care sabotage agenda and leadership failures are especially harmful to seniors facing the coronavirus pandemic. The call addressed the new “Seniors At Risk” report released by Protect Our Care and the Alliance for Retired Americans today on how American seniors stand to lose in Trump’s war on health care, especially in his lawsuit to overturn the Affordable Care Act that would devastate older Americans during this crisis.

This week Protect Our Care launched the “Seniors At Risk” campaign, beginning with the release of a new digital ad informing seniors, their children and grandchildren how President Trump is downplaying the coronavirus crisis, refusing to listen to experts, and failing to provide adequate testing, resulting in the unnecessary deaths of tens of thousands of America’s seniors.

Protect Our Care will continue its “Seniors At Risk” campaign with a series of state specific reports, state press calls with local elected officials, health care advocates and allied organizations, and additional digital ads.

Call Audio Available Here

“As we struggle to break free from the grips of the worst public health crisis our Nation has seen in a century, older Americans have been left as an afterthought by the Trump Administration,” said Senator Casey. “Protect Our Care and the Alliance for Retired Americans have released a report that details more than 20 million new Americans who have lost their jobs due to the pandemic are eligible for coverage through the ACA Marketplace. During this pandemic, more than ever, Americans need access to affordable health care. This Administration must drop their lawsuit against the ACA and stop its efforts to undermine the health and safety of seniors and their families especially during this pandemic.”

“From day one, President Trump has put the retirement security and health of older Americans at unnecessary risk. In just the last three months, COVID-19 has killed tens of thousands of older Americans. The president’s botched response shows a callous indifference toward the lives of seniors,” said Richard Fiesta, Executive Director of the Alliance for Retired Americans. “Rather than rallying the nation and marshaling the full resources of the federal government to fight this national emergency, he’s even used the pandemic as a pretense to gut Social Security by eliminating its dedicated funding. What have America’s seniors done to deserve this?”

“Two and a half years ago, I was fortunate to receive a lung transplant that saved my life,” said Gary Mitchell, a lung transplant survivor and President of the Wisconsin Alliance for Retired Americans. “Now my life and the lives of millions of older Americans are at risk from the coronavirus. President Trump’s failure to take this health crisis seriously has made a terrible situation worse, and thousands of seniors have died because of it.”

“President Trump’s failure to prepare us for the coronavirus crisis and his all-out war on health care has shown his complete disregard for the health and safety of older Americans,” said Protect Our Care Chair Leslie Dach. “Eighty percent of all coronavirus deaths have been over the age of 65 and many seniors have died unnecessarily and alone. If President Trump truly cared about the livelihoods of American seniors, he wouldn’t be trying to rip apart our health care system and gut critical programs like Medicare and Medicaid that are essential for older Americans to receive life-saving treatment and care.”

Protect Our Care Launches Campaign With New Digital Ad; Will Also Include National and State Specific Reports and State Press Events

Washington, DC — Today, Protect Our Care is launching the “Seniors At Risk” campaign, a new, targeted effort to bring attention to how Trump’s war on health care is putting seniors’ lives in danger during the coronavirus crisis. The campaign begins with the launch of a new digital ad informing seniors, their children and grandchildren how President Trump is downplaying the coronavirus crisis, refusing to listen to experts, and failing to provide adequate testing that has resulted in the unnecessary deaths of tens of thousands of America’s seniors. POC is also releasing a new national report in the coming days highlighting the dramatic impact of the virus on nursing homes and older Americans — 4 out of 5 coronavirus deaths have been Americans over 65. 

The campaign also highlights how the Trump administration’s ongoing sabotage of seniors’ health care is especially dangerous as the nation grapples with the coronavirus pandemic. 

Specifically, the campaign focuses on the Trump administration’s proposals for draconian cuts to Medicare and Medicaid and their Texas lawsuit that would overturn the ACA and increase drug costs and insurance premiums and gut protections for pre-existing conditions. 

Over the course of the “Seniors At Risk” campaign, Protect Our Care will also issue a series of state specific reports, hold state press calls with local elected officials, health care advocates and organizations, and release additional digital ads.

View the Launch Video

“President Trump’s disastrous coronavirus response and years-long war on health care has put older Americans squarely in the crosshairs of this deadly pandemic,” said Protect Our Care Chair Leslie Dach. “Eighty percent of all deaths have been over the age of 65 and many have died unnecessarily and alone. Americans have lost their parents and grandparents. President Trump’s failure to prepare us for this crisis, and his ongoing war on health care has shown just how little this administration cares about the health and safety of older Americans. If President Trump truly cared about our seniors, he wouldn’t be trying to rip apart our health care system and gut critical programs like Medicare and Medicaid that are essential for older Americans to receive life-saving treatment and care.”

Ad Script:

In this pandemic, America’s seniors are in danger.

Why? Because President Trump failed to prepare America for this crisis.

While he was downplaying the threat, calling it a hoax, older Americans were among the first to die.

4 out of 5 Coronavirus deaths have been Americans over 65.

And more than one third of all U.S. coronavirus deaths have been in nursing homes.

Many dying alone.

And while the virus continues to put seniors at risk, President Trump insists “we have prevailed.”

Ignoring the experts, rushing to reopen the economy, threatening our most vulnerable.

Older Americans, our parents and our grandparents, at grave risk. 

Tell President Trump: Stop putting seniors at risk.

Yesterday, President Trump visited a Ford manufacturing plant to try to salvage his support from Michigan voters. Instead, by refusing to wear a mask, Trump once again showed Michiganders and people across the country he is not taking the pandemic that has killed nearly 100,000 Americans seriously. 

Before his visit, Protect Our Care held a press call to discuss President Trump’s response to the coronavirus crisis in Michigan and how his failures have placed Michiganders’ health and safety at risk ahead of his visit to the state. Protect Our Care also unveiled a new survey conducted with Public Policy Polling in Michigan that finds voters in Michigan disapprove of Trump’s handling of the coronavirus crisis, trust Governor Whitmer far more, oppose relaxing social distancing and believe Trump deserves blame for the rising death toll and job loss as a result of his botched response. 

Here is what Michiganders saw and read about Trump’s visit:

MLive: Trump Visits Michigan Amid Coronavirus Pandemic, Historic Flooding And Economic Downturn. [MLive, 5/21/20] 

Detroit Free Press: Michigan Health Care Workers: Trump Wants Economy To Reopen — But We’re Not Ready. [Detroit Free Press, 5/21/20] 

Dearborn Press & Guide: Hammoud, Protect Our Care Blast Trump On Covid-19 Policy Ahead Of Visit To Michigan. [Dearborn Press & Guide, 5/21/20] 

Detroit Free Press: Nessel Calls Trump ‘Petulant Child,’ Says He Would Not Be Welcomed Back To Michigan. [Detroit Free Press, 5/21/20] 

Washington Post: Trump Skips A Mask In Public During Tour Of Michigan Auto Plant That Requires Them. [Washington Post, 5/21/20]

Reuters: Trump Visits Ford Plant In Politically Crucial Michigan, Leaves Mask Off For Cameras. [Reuters, 5/21/20] 

Associated Press: Pandemic Politics: Maskless Trump Tours Michigan Ford Plant. [Associated Press, 5/22/20] 

CNN: Michigan AG: Trump Was ‘Incredibly Disrespectful’ To Our State. [CNN, 5/21/20] 

Washington Post: Ahead Of President’s Visit, Michigan Town Battles Racial Disparities In Coronavirus Deaths. [Washington Post, 5/20/20] 

U.S. News & World Report: Trump Trails Biden in New Michigan Poll. [U.S. News & World Report, 5/21/20]