32 times Trump promised Americans health care — and failed to deliver

Donald Trump has promised to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act dozens of times since he launched his campaign for president in 2015, trashing former President Barack Obama’s signature policy achievement and vowing to give Americans better and cheaper health insurance.

However, as his first and only term in office enters its final days, it is now clear that Trump has officially failed to deliver on that promise. He has not released any sort of plan, and even if he got one out now, Congress would not have the time to pass it before he leaves office on Jan. 20.

The fact that Trump never actually produced a health care plan didn’t stop him from making repeated promises.

As the 2020 election drew near, Trump said numerous times that he had a plan and that it would be released soon.

But he never actually released it, and instead tried to pass off an executive order as a health care plan. The executive order merely stated that it was the official stance of the United States that people with preexisting conditions should have health care. Actual health care coverage for people with preexisting conditions is contained in Obamacare, the law that Trump wants to repeal. Legal challenges to the ACA are currently on the docket of the Supreme Court.

The court heard arguments in the case in the days after the election. If it does strike down Obamacare, it will leave millions of people without health care coverage and saddle the administration of President-elect Joe Biden with the task of coming up with a replacement.

Here are 32 times Trump made the empty promise that he would repeal and replace Obamacare:

July 29, 2015 interview with CNN’s Dana Bash

Repeal and replace with something terrific … The terrific will be plans that could be done by private companies. I have to be able to compete. I want to be able to compete and go to a company in California, a company in Iowa, a company in New Hampshire, a company — for — and I will get a good price.

Oct. 27, 2015 campaign rally in South Carolina

We’re going to terminate Obamacare which has turned out to be a complete disaster … we’re going to terminate it and replace it with something that’s going to be great and a lot less expensive and a lot less expensive for the government.

Jan. 27, 2016 campaign rally in South Carolina

We’re going to win with health care and Obamacare is going to be gone, but we’re going to win with health care. We’re going to win so much. You’re going to be so proud of your President. You’re going to be so proud of your country.

Feb. 8, 2016 campaign rally in New Hampshire

We’re going to bring down the price of health care. We’re going to bring it down, big league. Big, big league

Feb. 17, 2016 town hall with MSNBC

We’re going to take care of them. We have to take care of them. Now, that’s not single-payer. That’s not anything. That’s just human decency. … What we’re going to have is we’re going to have private plans. We’re going to have maybe the health care savings plans, which are very good. We’re going to get rid of the lines. You know what happens when you get rid of the lines? You have tremendous competition, and the price goes way down. The reason the lines are there is because the insurance companies are making a fortune having monopolies in the various states and make a fortune.

Feb. 22, 2016 campaign rally in Las Vegas

You’re going to end up with great health care for a fraction of the price and that’s gonna take place immediately after we go in. Okay? Immediately. Fast. Quick.

Feb. 25, 2016 GOP primary debate

I would absolutely get rid of Obamacare, we’re going to have something much better, but pre-existing conditions, when I’m referring to that, and I was referring to that very strongly on the show with Anderson Cooper, I want to keep pre-existing conditions. I think we need it. I think it’s a modern age, and I think we have to have it.

July 21, 2016 campaign rally in Ohio

We will repeal and replace disastrous Obamacare. You will be able to choose your own doctor again.

Aug. 5, 2016 campaign rally in Wisconsin

Health care, you know, the plan is terrible. It’s terrible. And we’re going to take care of everybody, but we’re going to end up with a great plan that costs much less money for the people and much less money for the country.

Aug. 8, 2016 speech at Detroit Economic Club

One of my first acts as president will be to repeal and replace disastrous Obamacare, saving another 2 million American jobs.

Sept. 12, 2016 campaign rally in North Carolina

On my first day in office, I am going to ask Congress to send me a bill to immediately repeal and replace, I just said it, Obamacare. And this will save another two million jobs. It is a disaster. You see what’s happening, your premiums are going through the roof. Your deductibles are so high you’ll never get to use it hopefully because the only way you’ll use it is it has to be a long slow death.

Oct. 4, 2016 campaign rally in Arizona

On my first day in office, I am going to ask a Republican Congress to send me a bill to immediately repeal and replace Obamacare.

Oct. 22, 2016 campaign rally in Pennsylvania

I will work with Congress to introduce the following broader legislative measures and fight for their passage within the first 100 days of my administration. … The Repeal and Replace Obamacare Act. Fully repeal Obamacare and replace it with health savings accounts. We can do that.

Oct. 25, 2016 campaign rally in Florida

Together we’re going to deliver real change that once again puts America first. That begins with immediately repealing and replacing the disaster known as Obamacare. You saw what happened yesterday? The rates are going through the sky. We all knew that. I knew it before it was passed. I’ve been saying this for a long time. My first day in office I’m going to ask Congress to put a bill on my desk getting rid of this disastrous law and replacing it with reforms that expand choice, freedom, affordability. You’re going to have such great health care at a tiny fraction of the cost and it’s going to be so easy.

Nov. 1, 2016 campaign rally in Pennsylvania

We will create quality, reliable, affordable health care in a free market where parents can make the health care decisions that they really want to make for their families. It will be a much better health care at a much less expensive cost. … When we win on Nov. 8 and elect a Republican congress, we will be able to immediately repeal and replace Obamacare. Have to do it. I will ask Congress to convene a special session so we can repeal and replace, and it will be such an honor for me, for you, and for everybody in this country because Obamacare has to be replaced and we will do it and we will do it very, very quickly.

Nov. 8, 2016 ‘Fox & Friends’ interview

We have to terminate Obamacare. Have to terminate it. We’re going to come up with great health care at a fraction of the cost, much better and much less expensive.

Nov. 13, 2016 ’60 Minutes’ interview

We’re going to do it simultaneously. It’ll be just fine. We’re not going to have, like, a two-day period and we’re not going to have a two-year period where there’s nothing. It will be repealed and replaced. And we’ll know. And it’ll be great health care for much less money. So it’ll be better health care, much better, for less money. Not a bad combination.

Dec. 26, 2017 tweet

Based on the fact that the very unfair and unpopular Individual Mandate has been terminated as part of our Tax Cut Bill, which essentially Repeals (over time) ObamaCare, the Democrats & Republicans will eventually come together and develop a great new HealthCare plan!

May 29, 2018 campaign rally in Tennessee

Of course, repeal and replace Obamacare. But what — we had it done, folks. It was done, and then, early in the morning, somebody turned the hand in the wrong direction. That cost our country a lot. That was a very, very terrible thing that happened that night. That was a very terrible thing. … Repeal and replace. And the person that voted that way only talked repeal and replace. He campaigned on it. So I’ll tell you this. I’ll tell you this. To get that, we are coming up with great health care. … Our secretary of labor is coming out with a plan in two weeks — association plan. Going to be great. Our secretary of health, Alex — we have Alex Acosta, you know that. I have my two Alexes. Both my Alexes are coming out with plans that are phenomenal plans, phenomenal plans, Alex Azar, Alex Acosta. And they’ll be out over the next four weeks.

April 1, 2019 Twitter thread

Everybody agrees that ObamaCare doesn’t work. Premiums & deductibles are far too high — Really bad HealthCare! Even the Dems want to replace it, but with Medicare for all, which would cause 180 million Americans to lose their beloved private health insurance. The Republicans are developing a really great HealthCare Plan with far lower premiums (cost) & deductibles than ObamaCare. In other words it will be far less expensive & much more usable than ObamaCare. Vote will be taken right after the Election when Republicans hold the Senate & win back the House. It will be truly great HealthCare that will work for America. Also, Republicans will always support Pre-Existing Conditions. The Republican Party will be known as the Party of Great HealtCare [sic]. Meantime, the USA is doing better than ever & is respected again!

April 3, 2019 tweet

I was never planning a vote prior to the 2020 Election on the wonderful HealthCare package that some very talented people are now developing for me & the Republican Party. It will be on full display during the Election as a much better & less expensive alternative to ObamaCare

Aug. 15, 2019 campaign rally in New Hampshire

We had it done, repeal and replace. But it’s got to happen and I think it’s going to actually be in the end, actually better. You watch.

June 27, 2020 tweets

Now that the very expensive, unpopular and unfair Individual Mandate provision has been terminated by us, many States & the U.S. are asking the Supreme Court that Obamacare itself be terminated so that it can be replaced with a FAR BETTER AND MUCH LESS EXPENSIVE ALTERNATIVE. Obamacare is a joke! Deductible is far too high and the overall cost is ridiculous. My Administration has gone out of its way to manage OC much better than previous, but it is still no good. I will ALWAYS PROTECT PEOPLE WITH PRE-EXISTING CONDITIONS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS,ALWAYS!!!

July 19, 2020 interview with Fox News

We’re signing a health care plan within two weeks, a full and complete health care plan that the Supreme Court decision on DACA gave me the right to do.

Aug. 3, 2020 speech at the White House

I do want to say that we’re going to be introducing a tremendous health care plan sometime prior — hopefully, prior to the end of the month. It’s just completed now.

Sept. 22, 2020 promise from White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany

The President, in the next week or so, will be laying out his vision for health care. Some of that has already been put out there, like telemedicine and lowering the cost of drugs. But the President — and protecting preexisting conditions. But the President will be laying out some additional health care steps in the coming, I would say, two weeks.

Sept. 24, 2020 tweet about an executive order that was not a health care plan

Under The America First Healthcare Plan, we will ensure the highest standard of care anywhere in the world — cutting-edge treatments, state-of-the-art medicine, groundbreaking cures, and true health security for you and your loved ones!

Sept, 27, 2020 tweet

Obamacare will be replaced with a MUCH better, and FAR cheaper, alternative if it is terminated in the Supreme Court. Would be a big WIN for the USA!

Sept. 29, 2020 debate exchange with moderator Chris Wallace

WALLACE: You, in the course of these four years, have never come up with a comprehensive plan to replace Obamacare, and just this last Thursday you signed a largely symbolic Executive Order to protect people with pre-existing conditions five days before this debate. So my question, sir, is what is the Trump health care plan?

 

TRUMP: Well, first of all, I guess I’m debating you, not him, but that’s okay. I’m not surprised. Let me just tell you something. There’s nothing symbolic. I’m cutting drug prices. I’m going with Favored Nations, which no President has the courage to do because you’re going against big pharma. Drug prices will be coming down 80 or 90%. You could have done it during your 47 year period in government, but you didn’t do it. Nobody’s done it. So we’re cutting health care.

 

WALLACE: What about pre-existing conditions?

 

TRUMP: All of the things that we’ve done.

Oct. 12, 2020 tweet

We will have Healthcare which is FAR BETTER than ObamaCare, at a FAR LOWER COST – BIG PREMIUM REDUCTION. PEOPLE WITH PRE EXISTING CONDITIONS WILL BE PROTECTED AT AN EVEN HIGHER LEVEL THAN NOW. HIGHLY UNPOPULAR AND UNFAIR INDIVIDUAL MANDATE ALREADY TERMINATED. YOU’RE WELCOME!

Oct. 15, 2020 town hall exchange with Savannah Guthrie

GUTHRIE: In point of fact, your administration is about to go to the Supreme Court to argue to throw out the rest of Obamacare, which includes the protections for preexisting conditions.

 

TRUMP: That’s right. That’s right.

 

GUTHRIE: So your administration is in court right now, trying to get rid of that protection.

 

TRUMP: In order to replace it with a much better health care at a much lower price. And always, under all circumstances, we are going to protect the Republicans. And maybe I changed the party a lot over the last three years, but we will protect people with preexisting conditions. And Savannah, what I want to do, get rid of the terrible Obamacare. I’ve already done it to a large extent because as you know, the individual mandate is gone. That was the worst part.

 

GUTHRIE: You repealed, but you haven’t replaced.

 

TRUMP: No, no.

 

GUTHRIE: Now, you’ve been in office almost four years.

 

TRUMP: We have done-

 

GUTHRIE: You have both houses of Congress, Senate and House, in Republican hands, and there is not a replacement yet.

 

TRUMP: That’s right. I’m sorry, but if you look, we had both houses and what did we do? We got rid of the individual mandate. That went through the legislature.

 

GUTHRIE: But the promise was repeal and replace.

 

TRUMP: Look, look. We should be on the same side. I wanted very simple. I’m going to put it very simple. We would like to terminate it, and we would like to replace it with something that’s much less expensive and much better. We will always protect people with preexisting conditions.

Oct. 22, 2020 debate

I’d like to terminate Obamacare, come up with a brand new, beautiful health care. The Democrats will do it, because there’ll be tremendous pressure on them. And we might even have the House by that time. And I think we’re going to win the House. You’ll see, but I think we’re going to win the House. But come up with a better health care, always protecting people with pre-existing conditions.

Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.