Economist Paul Krugman slams Trump for failing miserably on a 'life-or-death issue'

13 September 2024

During their 2024 presidential debate in Philadelphia's National Constitution Center on Tuesday night, September 10, Democratic nominee Kamala Harris relentlessly attacked her GOP rival, Donald Trump, on a variety of issues — from abortion to foreign policy to tariffs. The vice president also slammed Trump on health care, warning that he would like to abolish the Affordable Care Act of 2010, a.k.a. Obamacare, without having a viable alternative in mind.

Asked if he had a plan for replacing Obamacare, Trump replied, "I have concepts of a plan."

In a biting New York Times column published on September 12, liberal economist Paul Krugman argues that Trump's comments on healthcare during the debate underscore his weakness on a "life-or-death issue."

"For policy wonks like me…. the most remarkable moment in the debate probably came when Trump was asked whether he had a plan for health care reform, and his answer was: 'I have concepts of a plan,'" Krugman explains. "Bear in mind that health care coverage is a crucial — in some cases, life-or-death — issue for many Americans. Furthermore, health care — unlike, say, grocery or gas prices — is an issue on which public policy can make a big difference."

Krugman continues, "In particular, the coming of the Affordable Care Act, a.k.a. Obamacare, led to a large decline in the percentage of Americans without health insurance and made an especially big difference for people with pre-existing conditions that might otherwise have made them uninsurable."

The economist goes on to say Trump has been "promising a superior alternative" to Obamacare since 2015 — and failed to come up with one.

"The only policy alternative he has ever proposed was 2017 legislation that would have more or less dismantled the ACA without a viable replacement — and which the Congressional Budget Office estimated would have increased the number of Americans without health insurance by 32 million within a few years," Krugman notes. "That legislation failed to pass the Senate — thanks in part to John McCain's bravery in breaking with his party — and helped Democrats gain the House of Representatives in 2018."

Trump, Krugman argues, is "blowing smoke" when he "claims to have even 'concepts'" for an Obamacare replacement.

Krugman writes, "So, am I saying that Trump has probably been faking it all along, that he has really never had an idea about how to improve on Obamacare? Why, yes."

Paul Krugman's full New York Times column is available at this link (subscription required).

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