In an exclusive Fox News town hall event, former President Donald Trump presented his vision for a new healthcare system and directed criticism towards air traffic controllers, against the backdrop of the concluded US government shutdown.
'Trump Care': A New Health Insurance Model
During the conversation with host Laura Ingraham in Greenville, South Carolina, on 20 February 2024, Donald Trump put forward his alternative to the existing Affordable Care Act. He proposed redirecting subsidy money into individual accounts, allowing people to purchase their own health insurance directly.
"I want the money to go into an account for people where they buy their own health insurance," Trump stated, suggesting the strategy could be branded as "Trump Care." He argued this approach would make people "feel like entrepreneurs" by enabling them to "go out and negotiate their own insurance."
This proposition came as Democrats were pushing to extend tax credits that lower healthcare premiums for millions of Americans, which were set to expire. Republicans have historically criticised these credits, claiming they primarily benefit insurance companies.
Criticism Amidst the Shutdown Fallout
The interview aired as the Senate voted to end the longest government shutdown in US history. Ingraham questioned Trump about a post he made on Truth Social, which took aim at air traffic controllers who took time off during the funding impasse.
The Federal Aviation Administration was already facing a staffing shortage before the shutdown began. The situation deteriorated significantly when paychecks stopped, with the National Air Traffic Controllers Association reporting many controllers were working up to 10-hour days, six days a week without pay. Some were forced to take second jobs to manage financially, while thousands of flights were cancelled at the nation's busiest airports due to the crisis.
Trump showed little sympathy for their predicament. "Life is not so easy for anybody," he remarked. "Our country has never done better. We should not have had people leaving their jobs."
He also stood by a promise made in his post to provide a $10,000 bonus for any controller who worked throughout the entire shutdown. When pressed on the source of these funds, he responded, "I will always get the money from someplace."
Broad Political Commentary
The wide-ranging discussion also covered topics from housing mortgages to foreign policy. Trump used the platform to cast blame for poor economic indicators and claimed that increased access to food stamps had put "the country in jeopardy."
Ingraham's questions frequently teed up opportunities for the former president to launch insults at political opponents, including California Governor Gavin Newsom and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer.
