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Trump hits hard at ‘Obamacare’ after gloomy report

ASSOCIATED PRESS

An employee of Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump grabbed his tie as they posed for photographs during an event at Trump National Doral, today, in Miami.

DORAL, Florida » Hoping for a potent late-campaign issue against Hillary Clinton, Donald Trump declared today that “Obamacare is just blowing up” after the government projected sharp cost increases for President Barack Obama’s health care program.

Just two weeks before Election Day, the New York businessman addressed the health care development during an appearance at one of his Florida golf resorts that highlighted the extraordinary intersection of his business and political interests. His message in a state he described as a “must-win,” was somewhat scattershot, leaving questions of how well he and his party can capitalize on a revived emphasis on “Obamacare.”

“We’re down in Florida. We’re at Trump National Doral. And it’s one of the great places on earth,” Trump said during a visit to his golf club before encouraging his employees to praise him at the microphone. He suggested that many of his workers are having “tremendous problems with Obamacare” while highlighting a report that predicted premium increases of roughly 25 percent for the coming year.

The Doral general manager later clarified that 95 percent of the club’s employees are on company-provided insurance.

Trump vowed anew to “repeal and replace” the president’s signature health care overhaul. Clinton says she wants to keep the best of the program but make improvements.

The Department of Health and Human Services reported Monday that premiums will go up sharply next year under the health care program, and many consumers will be down to just one choice for their insurer. Before taxpayer-provided subsidies, premiums for a midlevel benchmark plan will increase an average of 25 percent across the 39 states served by the federally run online market. Some states will see much bigger jumps, others less.

The report gives some Republicans some new hope in the presidential contest’s final days as Trump’s path to the White House narrows.

Clinton has yet to comment on the projected health care increases. She has previously promised to address health care cost increases and the declining insurance options if elected.

On Monday, the Democratic nominee campaigned alongside New Hampshire Gov. Maggie Hassan, who is in a tight Senate race against Republican incumbent Kelly Ayotte. The two Democrats got an assist from Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, who was merciless as she seized on recent revelations of Trump’s predatory sexual language and several allegations of sexual assault.

“He thinks that because he has a mouth full of Tic Tacs, he can force himself on any woman within groping distance,” Warren charged. “I’ve got news for you Donald: Women have had it with guys like you.”

Trump, in an interview with WGIR radio in New Hampshire, called the accusations “total fiction.” He lashed out at his latest accuser, former adult film performer Jessica Drake, who said Saturday that he had grabbed and kissed her without permission and offered her money to visit his hotel room a decade ago.

“One said, ‘He grabbed me on the arm.’ And she’s a porn star,” Trump said. He added, “Oh, I’m sure she’s never been grabbed before.”

Trump, who must win Florida to have any chance at the 270 electoral votes needed to win the presidency, is appearing at three Florida campaign events today. Clinton, who can win the presidency with or without Florida, is making just one appearance, in the southern part of the state.

“I believe Florida’s a must-win and I think we’re winning it,” Trump told Fox News today with most recent polls giving Clinton a slight lead.

While they spar from a distance, hundreds of thousands of Floridians are voting. Today marks the second day of early in-person voting. Early voting by mail began two weeks ago.

Nearly 300,000 Florida voters showed up for the first day of in-person early voting on Monday, new totals from state election officials showed. Altogether, more than 1.6 million Floridians have voted so far.

Traditionally, Republicans have run up a large advantage in mail-in-ballots, while Democrats rely on early voting to boost their turnout numbers. But this year the parties are running nearly even. So far, slightly more than 665,000 Republican voters have cast ballots in the state, compared to slightly more than 658,000 Democrats. Another 300,000 voters with no party affiliation have also voted.

At the same time, a new national poll shows young voters turning to Clinton now that the race has settled down to two main candidates. Clinton now leads among likely voters 18 to 30 years in age by 60 percent to 19 percent, according to a new GenForward survey.

Young black voters already were solidly in her corner, and now young whites are moving her way, according to the survey by the Black Youth Project at the University of Chicago with the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.

AP writer Gary Fineout in Tallahassee, Florida contributed to this report.

24 responses to “Trump hits hard at ‘Obamacare’ after gloomy report”

  1. Keonigohan says:

    WOW! SA actually printed this breaking story! KUDOS!
    The WORST LAW ever CRAMMED down Americans throat! THIS is O’s LEGACY..the WORST potus in American history!
    Now O’s LEGACY only has negative items…not that Obamcare was any good. All Conservatives knew this was just plain BAD…only grubers/libs swallowed O’s snake oil jive talk.

    • MoiLee says:

      keonigohan permit me to opine to a recent moderation below.
      Why isn’t the SA reporting the true numbers? The rise in the ACA will most likely be are 50% to 60%. & Florida precincts are recording record numbers in the Voting polls . Supporters which comprises more support for Donald Trump?. Donald supporters are blowing away Hillary Clinton. Yet we don’t see this story here? Or why the SA does’nt report the story of Hillary’s staff aide Cheryl Mills covering up Hillary emails. Mills “We have to clean-up this mess” to John Podesta!

      • MoiLee says:

        Obama knew Hillary was using an unsecured server! Hillary’s server did not have the .GOV signature. He knew!

        • MoiLee says:

          Thanks Keoni!

        • Keonigohan says:

          The amount of O & HRC’s CORRUPTION is unbelievable.

          “Joe Wilson on Wednesday, September 9th, 2009 in the audience at a joint session of Congress…YOU LIE!”

          Little did America..especially Libs…realize Joe Wilson was right way back then and had the conjones to shout out to O.

        • Keonigohan says:

          Back at you MoiLee…keep up with the TRUTH!

        • MoiLee says:

          …..surprisingly the NYT just came out with this story! About Hillary’s unsecured Server and Cheryl Mills and John Podesta colluding to hide it.And yes! Barry knew about it being unsecured! The thing is, the story was already out there.The story has gotten too big to ignore !
          Trump is forcing the hand of “The Dishonest” MSM to act accordingly and report the news fairly, even though ,they are in the tank with Hillary Clinton Campaign……Now let’s see if CBS, CNBC,NBC,MSN, ABC and CNN (The Clinton New Network) report this on the evening news…..bet you they don’t! Betcha!
          Conservatives blogging in this forum? Take heed! Read the Drudge Report and get the real story! Thanks Matt Drudge! and thanks again Keoni, I seem to have the SA Moderation Team target on my back!

    • CEI says:

      Americans elected this two-bit rabble rouser twice. He is the smartest and most capable president to ever grace us with his presence, or so the story goes. Sadly many super-smart progressives bought his snake oil and continue to do so. With the help of the SA his many failures never see the light of day. His signature legislation is going down in flames and everybody with a pulse knows it. The only people who did not see this coming are the willfully blind and the profoundly slow-witted. When he claimed he found out about Waldo’s server in the news it was a flat out lie. He had used a similar excuse previously and was not challenged by the supposed gatekeepers in the media so it was worth trying again.

      • hawaiikone says:

        Only when conservatives get to the point where we can give credit where it’s due, and honestly recognize some of our own shortcomings, will we begin the process of party restoration. Barry has been a reasonably efficient president, just not one espousing our ideology. Obamacare has not been the panacea for our health care woes, and it’s massive overhaul is obviously overdue, but returning to the previous status quo would only highlight the same issues that culminated in it’s birth.

        In Donald, we’ve allowed our frustrations to overcome our good sense, totally contradicting a cornerstone of conservative thinking. Hillary, an classic example of just how foul politics can be, will be the result. Until we can outline the facts without the hyperbole, we’re only adding fuel to the very fire liberals are roasting us with.

        • CEI says:

          I respectfully disagree with your analysis regarding Obamacare. Allowing insurers to sell policies across state lines would have been a good start instead of the massive changes included in Obamacare. The individual mandate is clearly unconstitutional. Insuring those with pre-existing conditions is a good idea but to believe it wouldn’t increase costs borders on lunacy. The underlying reason for the ACA is to increase the size and reach of command and control central government. Government meddling in higher education contributes to obscene tuition rates. Government meddling in the mortgage business was responsible for the housing collapse in 2008. Social Security is on thin ice because politicians couldn’t keep their hands off the contributions to it. There’s a pattern developing and it ain’t good.

        • hawaiikone says:

          Not arguing the need for changes prior to the ACA, tort control, interstate competition, etc., but today, taking away coverage from those previously not covered will be a hard sell. Health care differs entirely from mortgages and education, and while having less federal intrusion in either might indeed encourage competitive stability, it won’t come without the risks inherent in pure capitalism. Striking a logical balance between minimal regulation and overbearing control has to understand and accept the real probability of collateral damage occurring whenever loopholes allow victimization. Complete freedom, responsible freedom, or “1984”. Choose your poison.

        • CEI says:

          I prefer not to go the 1984 route. But I fear we have already crossed the line using political correctness and speech codes as one example. That’s where constitutional protections i.e Bill of Rights and and separation of powers come in handy.

          The central government does have a role to play as a referee regarding the free market. But it has no business picking winners and losers in misguided attempts to “level the playing field”.

  2. MoiLee says:

    Obama Care is a Disaster! Pure and Simple! This 25% increase? Will more like a 50%-60% rise. Small businesses are hurting because they simply can’t afford to buy insurance for their employees.Sad!
    Off Grid: POLLS
    Don’t believe the msm polls! Look at the the early voting precincts in Florida,Trump supporters are Blowing away Clinton Supporters! The lines are long and massive! Smart people know the MSM polls more Democrats than Republicans. About a 4:1 Ratio! How else is their numbers supposed to rise? Haaaaaaaa! It’s Rigged!
    Talk about about”Ratios”. Tim Kaine attracts a mere 30 people,while Donald Trump in Tampa Bay attracts 25 thousand! Don’t believe the polls!
    ……talk about “Don’t believe it”.
    How’s this,remember what Obama said on 60 minutes in regards to Hillary’s emails. He said he didn’t know anything about or had any knowledge about it till it was broadcast over the NEWS! This is another Lie by yours truly!

    He Knew! Because the emails he received from Hillary did NOT Have the .Gov signature in her transmissions to Barry. And yet a Hillary staff member tried to cover it up! “We have to Clean-up this mess”. Cheryl Mills to John Podesta…… Now why is this not in The News or even the SA?

    • bsdetection says:

      Like Trump, you don’t understand the plan that you are criticizing when you say that “small businesses are hurting because they simply can’t afford to buy insurance for their employees.” If companies don’t buy insurance for their employees, why are they hurting? If they do buy insurance for their employees, then the employees are not affected by the increases in ACA plans. The 25% increase is not an increase in what people who purchase insurance through the Affordable Care Act will pay. It is a 25% increase in the benchmark rate used to calculate the subsidy that participants will receive, and 80% of people using the ACA receive those subsidies.

      • CEI says:

        The subsidies, by the way, are taxpayer funded. People work, the government taxes their earnings and that is how the government gets the money that it has.

  3. bsdetection says:

    Today, Trump, pointing to a crowd of his employees, said, “You look at what they’re going through, what they’re going through with their health-care is horrible.” Apparently he doesn’t even know that his employees are not covered by the Affordable Care Act; they have the health insurance that he provides.

    • Keonigohan says:

      To correct your incorrect assertion that his employees are not covered by Obamacare…
      “The general manager of Trump’s Doral property clarified that the majority of his employees were covered by the company’s plan, and that only part-time or seasonal workers would have to use the Obamacare exchanges.”
      So a majority of them are fortunate to not be under Obamacare…that’s a good thing.

      • bsdetection says:

        So you’re saying that I’m incorrect because I said that Trump was wrong about his employee’s healthcare when the fact is that, as his manager admitted, Trump was only wrong about 95% of his employees’s healthcare. Not sure that makes your point.

        • Keonigohan says:

          Your tunnel vision makes you say things that misses the point by miles.

          “So a majority of them are fortunate to not be under Obamacare…that’s a good thing.”
          Get it?

        • Ronin006 says:

          BS, Trump said many of his workers are having “tremendous problems with Obamacare” and you concluded he was wrong because the manager of the Trump-owned golf course at which he was speaking said that 95 percent of the club’s employees are on company-provided insurance. I am sure you know that Trump has many businesses throughout the United States that employ thousands of employees and many of them may be having “tremendous problem with Obamacare.” Trump may have been referring to entire work force and the Doral GM talking about the Doral employees only. Apples and oranges.

    • MoiLee says:

      ACA? It’s a disaster and that’s no BS. BSDETECTION. Please look at the bigger picture and don’t be so petty! BTW Where’s the “F” Troop Boots, Ike, Klastri,Keaukaha,and Allie? Crickets.Again! Don’t blame them!

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