MaddowBlog-Trump pushes GOP to focus on health care in midterms, which would be fine with Democrats

[LetMyPeopleVote]

The president told GOP lawmakers this week: “We can own the issue.” Republicans shouldn’t get their hopes up.

Trump insisted this week that Republicans should make health care a key part of the GOP’s strategy in the midterms: www.ms.now/rachel-maddo...

Democrats should be so lucky:

— Steve Benen (@stevebenen.com) 2026-03-13T20:25:07.940Z

https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/trump-pushes-gop-to-focus-on-health-care-in-midterms-which-would-be-fine-with-democrats

About a month ago, CNN reported that Donald Trump was determined to make health care “a central focus of his midterm sales pitch,” which seemed difficult to believe but apparently was a sign of things to come.

In fact, in his remarks to House Republicans this week, the president said, in reference to health care: “We can own the issue. For the first time ever, Republicans can own that issue.”

Trump on healthcare: "We can own the issue! For the first time ever Republicans can own that issue."

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar.com) 2026-03-09T21:22:40.017Z

.....Republicans are welcome to try to turn that around between now and Election Day, but existing public attitudes aren’t the only hurdle in their way. There’s also the GOP’s record to consider. The New York Times reported a few weeks ago:

The Trump administration’s proposed new rules for Obamacare plans next year would shift more health care costs to Americans, with much higher deductibles that could lead to larger medical bills.

Under the proposal, people who rely on the Affordable Care Act for their health insurance coverage could choose plans with much lower monthly premiums. But that could leave them exposed to medical expenses totaling thousands of dollars more than A.C.A. plans do now before their insurance would kick in.

This, of course, comes on the heels of Republicans making a deliberate choice to raise the cost of coverage for 24 million Americans in December, which followed the GOP’s far-right domestic policy megabill, which slashed Medicaid funding....

But, sure, Mr. President, tell us some more about how Republicans “can own the issue.”

In 2018, during Trump’s first midterm elections, Democrats focused heavily on health care — it was the cycle after the GOP’s attempt at repealing the Affordable Care Act, which was a political disaster for the party — and easily reclaimed a majority in the U.S. House. Eight years later, the president is apparently under the impression that it would be a good thing if his second midterm elections focused largely on the same issue.

Presidents often don’t get to pick which issues dominate the public conversation, but if Trump manages to push health care into the 2026 spotlight, I have a hunch Democrats wouldn’t mind.

[BlueWaveNeverEnd]

1. Ok..dems will bash them on this issue