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Donald Trump, standing on a White House balcony like some old-time king, tells the country that his new bill is actually very popular, no matter what the polls say, no matter what you’ve read or even personally believe. Meanwhile, behind the scenes, some Republican lawmakers were quietly selling off stock connected to Medicaid, the very program they swore wouldn’t be touched by this bill.
Let’s break it down simply. The bill has faced major criticism, mostly because it gives massive tax cuts to corporations and wealthy Americans. Experts say this will likely cause the government to collect less money through taxes, which means it’ll have to borrow more, making the country’s debt problem worse. But for everyday people, the biggest worry isn’t about tax math. It’s about healthcare, especially Medicaid, the program that helps millions of low-income Americans get medical treatment.
What has people especially worried is that this bill makes Medicaid harder to access. It adds complex paperwork and new work requirements that could lead to millions of people losing their coverage. Even though the Trump administration claims there will be “no effect” on Medicaid, the reality looks different. Doctors, hospitals, and policy experts are warning that this could lead to rural hospitals shutting down and leave people with disabilities even more vulnerable.
And regular Americans are speaking up. In polls, 85% of Democrats, 71% of independents, and even 36% of Republicans said they don’t like this bill. Still, Trump insists it’s “the most popular bill ever signed.”
To make matters worse, there’s evidence that some politicians were trying to profit from the chaos. Senator Elizabeth Warren recently called out Rep. Robert Bresnahan for dumping stock in Centene, a company that handles Medicaid-related services, just before the bill passed. After the bill was approved, Centene’s stock dropped by 43%. That’s a big red flag. If lawmakers are making moves in the stock market based on legislation they’re passing, that’s not just shady, it’s insider trading.
Senator Warren has demanded a ban on Congress members trading stocks altogether. She and others believe it’s a clear conflict of interest when politicians pass laws and then quietly make money from the results.
So here we are: millions of Americans may soon face higher medical bills or no coverage at all, while the people who helped create that problem are looking for ways to get richer from it. And instead of focusing on fixing healthcare, some of these lawmakers, like Bresnahan, are busy pushing culture war issues, like legislation about trans athletes, as a distraction.
Meanwhile, Trump stands above it all, dismissing the fears of average Americans and praising a bill that makes life harder for many and better only for the very rich. In a country where fairness is supposed to matter, it’s hard not to ask: Is anything fair?