New Video: Then-Candidate Donald Trump Promised He Would Not Cut Medicaid; Now, President Trump Has Proposed Budget That Would Devastate Program That Millions Of Americans Rely On

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senate Democrats today released a new video showing the difference between the promises then-candidate Donald Trump made regarding Medicaid and the actions he has now taken as president. On the campaign trail, then-candidate Trump promised he would not cut Medicaid funding, and even suggested he might bolster it by bringing more Americans into the program who lacked health insurance. However, President Trump just this week proposed a federal budget that would decimate the Medicaid program by more than $800 billion over the next decade. Such drastic cuts to the program would impact America’s most vulnerable – including the poorest Americans, those with disabilities, rural hospitals, and more. Schumer called this yet another broken promise to the American people.

WATCH THE VIDEO:

TWITTER: https://twitter.com/SenateDems/status/867061134884569089

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/USSenateDemocrats/videos/1339513979451126/

Senate Democrats outlined key promises Donald Trump made on the campaign trail regarding Medicaid funding: 

Then-Candidate Donald Trump: “‘I’m not going to cut Social Security like every other Republican and I’m not going to cut Medicare or Medicaid,’ Trump told The Daily Signal. ‘Every other Republican is going to cut, and even if they wouldn’t, they don’t know what to do because they don’t know where the money is. I do.’” [Daily Signal, 5/21/15]

Then-Candidate Donald Trump: "Save Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security without cuts. Have to do it." [Trump's Presidential Announcement Speech, 6/16/15]

Then-Candidate Donald Trump: “Donald J. Trump‏ @realDonaldTrump: I was the first & only potential GOP candidate to state there will be no cuts to Social Security, Medicare & Medicaid. Huckabee copied me.” [Twitter, 5/7/15]

Then-Candidate Donald Trump: “Donald J. Trump‏ @realDonaldTrump: Huckabee is a nice guy but will never be able to bring in the funds so as not to cut Social Security, Medicare & Medicaid. I will.” [Twitter, 5/7/15]

Then-Candidate Donald Trump: “Donald J. Trump @realDonaldTrump:  The Republicans who want to cut SS & Medicaid are wrong. A robust economy will Make America Great Again! https://www.donaldjtrump.com/” [Twitter, 7/11/15]

Then-Candidate Donald Trump: “Donald J. Trump @realDonaldTrump:  I am going to save Medicare and Medicaid, Carson wants to abolish, and failing candidate Gov. John Kasich doesn't have a clue - weak!” [Twitter, 10/31/15]

Then-Candidate Donald Trump, Asked Whether He Would Expand Medicaid, Said “You Can Do It through Medicaid” – “This Has to Do with Humanity.”

TODD: “But you're going to have to structure a government program to deal with this.”

TRUMP: “No, no, no. Here's what you do. So, you're going to have a great system, but there will be people left that don't have any money. And what I said last night is I don't want people dying in the middle of the street. It's not going to happen if I'm president, okay. This isn't single-payer. This is using our hospitals to take care of people, you work them out, you reimburse the hospital because we will get...”

TODD: “You will expand Medicaid?”

TRUMP: “You can do it through Medicaid. You can do it through some otherway, but I'm just saying very simple -- and this has nothing to do with single. This has to do with humanity. This has to do with having a heart. We can have unbelievable insurance at a much lower cost. You know, I don't know if you know, Obamacare is going up 35, 45, 55 percent, the premiums are through the roof, in '17 it collapses. You're going to have people -- you're going to have great plans, but you're going to have people that won't be able to afford even 10 cents. We cannot let them die on the streets, Chuck. And we're going to take care of them. Whether it's Medicaid, or you're going to work out some kind of a deal with hospitals to take care of these people.” [NBC’s Meet The Press, 2/7/16]

Then-Candidate Donald Trump Said He Would Help People Falling through the Cracks through the Medicaid System.

OZ: “So what do we do with the folks who fall through the cracks?”

TRUMP: “We have to go and we have to help them through the Medicaid system. We have to help them publicly. We're going to have to do it. Nobody wants to see people -- and it's totally unfair. A lot of people said oh gee, that's not the thing to say. I said well you know what if I can't say that I'm not running for office. I mean there are people who would say everybody should have a great, wonderful private plan. And if you can't afford that, and there is a percentage, a fairly large percentage that can't afford it, then those people don't get taken care of. That's wrong. We're going to take care of that through the Medicaid system. We're going to take care of those people. We have no choice. We're not going to let people die on the streets.” [Dr. Oz, 9/15/16]