Their entire premise was a lie. According to ABC World News Tonight anchor David Muir, President Trump was trying to keep Americans who found themselves suddenly unemployed during the coronavirus crisis from getting health insurance. Moments later, congressional correspondent Mary Bruce, who backed up the assertion, proved they were lying to their viewers.
“If you lost your job and your insurance, what do you do? The White House was asked, would they reopen enrollment in ObamaCare? The answer, so far, no,” proclaimed Muir as he led into the segment. He even had "health care coverage crisis" as the on-screen headline. The premise was immediately backed up by Bruce, who began her report by saying: “As unemployment skyrockets, millions of Americans tonight are worried about their health insurance.”
Bruce would later tag on Trump’s opposition to ObamaCare and tie it directly to the ongoing coronavirus crisis. “In the midst of this health crisis, Trump has decided not to reopen enrollment for Obamacare. And his administration has been urging the Supreme Court to dismantle the law entirely,” she complained.
Perhaps inadvertently proving what she and Muir had just said seconds before to be a lie, Bruce explained that “there are options. If you've lost your job, you may be able to continue your existing insurance or you'll have a 60-day window to enroll through ObamaCare.”
But both of them just said Trump was refusing to allow them to enroll in ObamaCare! To reiterate, “If you lost your job and your insurance, what do you do? The White House was asked, would they reopen enrollment in ObamaCare? The answer, so far, no,” was what Muir told his viewers with Bruce backing it up.
“If you did not have health insurance to begin with, check and see if you live in one of these 12 states that runs its own insurance exchange program and has open enrollment, or see if you qualify for coverage through Medicaid,” Bruce added.
To make it seem as though the Trump administration didn’t care about those unemployed Americans, ABC selectively edited video from Wednesday’s press briefing to make them seem heartless:
BRUCE: Pressed Wednesday on his plan to help the uninsured, the President punted to the Vice President.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: Maybe Mike, you want to say a few words about this?
VICE PRESIDENT MIKE PENCE: We'll get through this using the full weight of the federal government and the full strength of the American economy.
BRUCE: The Vice President had few details, and that seemed to be okay with the President.
TRUMP: I think it's one of the greatest answers I've ever heard. Because Mike was able to speak for five minutes and not even touch your question.
Only in her final sentence did Bruce tell the truth about who couldn’t enroll. “[I]f you didn't have health insurance before and you don't qualify for Medicaid, you may have to wait until open enrollment in the fall.” And that was the way the program was run since before the crisis.
The transcript is below, click "expand" to read:
ABC’s World News Tonight
April 2, 2020
6:43:35 p.m. EasternDAVID MUIR: And, of course, then there's the question of health insurance. If you lost your job and your insurance, what do you do? The White House was asked, would they reopen enrollment in Obamacare? The answer, so far, no. Mary Bruce with solutions tonight.
[Cuts to video]
MARY BRUCE: As unemployment skyrockets, millions of Americans tonight are worried about their health insurance. Pressed Wednesday on his plan to help the uninsured, the President punted to the Vice President.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: Maybe Mike, you want to say a few words about this?
VICE PRESIDENT MIKE PENCE: We'll get through this using the full weight of the federal government and the full strength of the American economy.
BRUCE: The Vice President had few details, and that seemed to be okay with the President.
TRUMP: I think it's one of the greatest answers I've ever heard. Because Mike was able to speak for five minutes and not even touch your question.
BRUCE: In the midst of this health crisis, Trump has decided not to reopen enrollment for Obamacare. And his administration has been urging the Supreme Court to dismantle the law entirely.
But there are options. If you've lost your job, you may be able to continue your existing insurance or you'll have a 60-day window to enroll through ObamaCare If you did not have health insurance to begin with, check and see if you live in one of these 12 states that runs its own insurance exchange program and has open enrollment, or see if you qualify for coverage through Medicaid.
[Cuts back to live]
So, bottom line, if you are suddenly without insurance because you lost your job, you can go to healthcare.gov to see your options. But, David, for many Americans, if you didn't have health insurance before and you don't qualify for Medicaid, you may have to wait until open enrollment in the fall. David?
MUIR: All right, Mary Bruce, thank you.
