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Donald Trump Releases Healthcare Policy, Disagrees With Himself

By Jayce Wagner
Published on: 05:26 PST, Mar 3, 2016

Late last night, Donald Trump released the details of his “seven point” healthcare plan after months of criticism for speaking only in general terms about his policy. Unsurprisingly, the Trump plan calls for a “full repeal” of the Affordable Care Act — also known as Obamacare — and in its place he suggests a policy that might actually cost less for many Americans.

The details of Donald Trump’s healthcare policy, it’s important to point out, are “just a place to start,” according to the Trump campaign, and are likely subject to change depending on the reaction they receive from Republican voters. In general though, the healthcare plan is in lockstep with the typical Republican stances on healthcare – eliminate government subsidies, give tax breaks. Under the Trump plan, “the Donald” suggests that individuals be extended the same tax breaks that businesses enjoy, his plan would allow everyone to completely write-off their healthcare premiums on their tax returns.

The Trump plan released last night is another example of the Donald Trump campaign backpedaling in order to solicit votes. The first point of his plan runs contrary to his long held position, which is best described in his own words.

“I like the mandate, that makes me a little bit different from other conservatives,” Donald Trump told a town hall meeting before the South Carolina primary last week.

Compare to an excerpt from the Donald Trump healthcare plan released just last night.

“Our elected representatives must eliminate the individual mandate. No person should be required to buy insurance unless he or she wants to,” reads the healthcare proposal released by the Donald Trump camp last night.

Is the Trump campaign just making it up as they go along? Or are they just changing positions depending on which direction the political winds are blowing? Both, say some commentators. It’s likely the Trump campaign’s only solid, immutable position is a simple one: win at all costs. Given his poll numbers, it seems to be working out for the New York billionaire, but FiveThirtyEight took a closer look at Trump’s recent victories and though he’s pulling in big numbers, they might not be as impressive as they appear.

As the Inquisitr has pointed out earlier, the road to a presidential nomination is paved with delegates. They’re the real prize in these early primaries and caucuses, and they will decide who wins the nomination – for either party. Donald Trump, so far, has around a quarter of the delegates he needs in order to win the nomination outright, and Ted Cruz is close behind.

The Donald Trump strategy – be whoever or whatever the voters want – doesn’t put him as far ahead of his rivals as his recent victories might suggest. Ted Cruz, who, unlike Trump, pretty much never changes his political points-of-view, besides a few high-profile examples before the presidential race, came in a very close second on Super Tuesday.

“Donald Trump’s Super Tuesday delegate haul was no blowout. He won 254 delegates, Ted Cruz won 217,” reports FiveThirtyEight.

The Trump campaign stands on a knife edge, so to speak. He needs to hit his delegate targets in every remaining primary state in order to secure the nomination. If he misses the mark even once, he gives the Rubio and Cruz campaigns a solid — and statistically probable — pathway to the nomination. He’s got a narrow lead, and he needs to maintain it in order to win.

Donald Trump isn’t the unstoppable juggernaut he seems to be, and the healthcare policy outlined last night is unlikely to attract any new voters. The policy is pretty standard boilerplate conservative/Republican positions on healthcare – it’s very similar if not identical to the Cruz and Rubio positions on healthcare.

[Photo by John Moore/Getty Images]

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