Trump Doesn’t Realize the Disaster He’s Created

The shutdown shoved healthcare to the forefront and left Republicans holding the blame they’ve spent years trying to dodge.

I’ve told this story before, but it hits differently now. A close friend of mine has a mom whose entire ability to afford health insurance depends on Affordable Care Act subsidies. Those subsidies became a bargaining chip in the government shutdown. They survived for the moment, but they expire next month. Millions of people are living with that fear every single day. When the shutdown ended with no healthcare concessions, a lot of people felt defeated. Democrats fought for forty days to keep those subsidies protected. They wanted the government open, but they also wanted people to keep their coverage. If millions lose healthcare, it’s not a clean reopening. It’s a political surrender.

Next month, Republicans will vote again on whether these subsidies survive. There is no suspense. They will vote no. They’ve tried to dismantle the ACA since the day it passed. And for the first time in years, millions of Americans actually see that clearly. This isn’t theoretical anymore. It’s personal. It’s monthly premiums. It’s doctor visits. It’s prescriptions. It’s the difference between living a stable life and living with constant anxiety.

My policy adviser, Micah, had a moment recently that says everything about where the country is right now. He went on MSNBC. His mom watched. She’s a Republican who voted for Trump, and she also relies entirely on ACA subsidies. After the interview, she called and asked him if her premiums were going up. He had to tell her yes. Now she asks him that question every single time they talk. She’s terrified. And she’s not alone. She’s one of twenty four million Americans on marketplace plans who now know exactly which party is threatening their coverage.

Republicans built this crisis with intent. It’s not just the ACA subsidies. It’s over a trillion dollars in Medicaid cuts. It’s hundreds of billions cut from food stamps. It’s rolling back consumer protections that stopped corporations from abusing people. Biden tried to require companies to let you cancel a subscription with one click. Trump’s administration killed that rule. Biden tried to force airlines to reimburse you for canceled flights. Trump killed that too. And now Republicans are running around pretending they care about affordability while promising healthcare plans that never exist. They’ve been saying “our plan is coming in two weeks” for ten years. They don’t have a plan. They have an ideology, and it’s built on punishing the poor and rewarding the wealthy.

For once, Democrats finally stayed on one message. When Republicans get power, they try to rip healthcare away. When Democrats get power, they try to expand it. People are finally paying attention. They’re thinking about premiums. They’re thinking about losing doctors. They’re thinking about whether their kids will still be covered. And in December, when this vote happens, they will see exactly who stands with them and who doesn’t.

This shutdown also exposed something deeper. Trump allowed Elon Musk to wander around the White House high on ketamine while gutting the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. He let billionaires use the White House as a showroom to sell their products. He rewarded donors with political favors that hurt ordinary Americans. That’s not pro business. That’s not ideology. That’s transactional corruption. And it lands on the backs of people who can’t afford it.

The Republican agenda is straightforward. Raise taxes on the poor through tariffs. Cut taxes for the rich. Turn federal agencies into tools for lobbyists. Hand power to donors. Create permanent crises and blame someone else. The Democratic agenda is also straightforward. Protect people. Expand access to healthcare. Strengthen consumer protections. And refuse to treat millions of Americans as bargaining chips in a shutdown negotiation.

In December, Republicans will try once again to strip healthcare away from millions of people. And millions of people will see it happen in real time. That clarity will change politics for years.

If you want me to keep doing this work, breaking it down plainly, bringing policy experts into these conversations, and calling out the people who profit off suffering, I need your support. This reporting only exists because of you.