Ruqayyah Snyder
In 2017, former US President Donald Trump praised Australia's universal healthcare system, stating that Australians have better healthcare than we do. This comment came as a surprise to many, as it contradicted his administration's efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) and move away from a universal healthcare model. Trump's statement drew a range of responses, with some interpreting it as a compliment to Australia, while others, like Senator Bernie Sanders, seized the opportunity to advocate for a Medicare-for-all system in the US. Despite the White House downplaying Trump's remarks, his acknowledgement of Australia's successful healthcare system sparked discussions about potential improvements to the US healthcare landscape.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date | 5th May 2017 |
| Occasion | The US House passed a bill to repeal parts of the Affordable Care Act |
| Who Trump was speaking to | Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull |
| What Trump said | "I shouldn't say this to … my friend from Australia, because you have better healthcare than we do." |
| Trump's tone | Praise for the Australian system |
| Trump's view of the US healthcare system | Failing |
| Response from Bernie Sanders | Amusement; agreement; suggestion to use the Australian system as a model |
| White House response | Trump was being nice to an ally and didn't mean to imply the US should adopt the Australian system |
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What You'll Learn
- Trump praised Australia's universal healthcare system
- Trump's comments were in reference to Obamacare
- Bernie Sanders responded positively to Trump's comments
- Trump's comments were directed at Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull
- Trump's endorsement of Australia's healthcare system contradicts his own policies
Trump praised Australia's universal healthcare system
In 2017, then-President Trump praised Australia's universal healthcare system, stating that "Australians have better healthcare than we do". This comment came shortly after the US House passed a bill to repeal parts of the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare. Trump's endorsement of Australia's system, which provides free or subsidised care for all citizens and permanent residents, was surprising to some, given his support for legislation that would reduce healthcare coverage for Americans.
Trump's praise for Australia's healthcare system was made during a meeting with Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull. Trump deviated from his script, turning to Turnbull and saying, "I shouldn't say this to... my friend from Australia, because you have better healthcare than we do". This comment was seized upon by proponents of universal healthcare, including Senator Bernie Sanders, who encouraged a move towards a Medicare-for-all system.
Sanders tweeted in response to Trump's comments, saying, "Yes, Mr. President, the Australian healthcare system is a lot better than ours and infinitely better than the disastrous bill you supported". On MSNBC, Sanders also said, "That's great. Let's take a look at the Australian healthcare system. Maybe he wants to take a look at the Canadian healthcare system or systems throughout Europe. Thank you, Mr. President. Let us move to a Medicare-for-all system".
Trump's comments about Australia's healthcare system, while surprising to some, were not entirely inconsistent with his previous statements. In his 2000 book, *The America We Deserve*, Trump endorsed a universal healthcare model, and during his 2015 campaign, he stated that he wanted "everyone to be covered" and that "the government's gonna pay for it". However, the legislation he supported as president would have reduced healthcare coverage for millions of Americans.
Despite Trump's praise for Australia's universal healthcare system, the White House later downplayed his comments, claiming he was simply being complimentary to a foreign leader and did not intend to suggest that the United States should adopt Australia's approach.
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Trump's comments were in reference to Obamacare
Trump's comments about the Australian healthcare system were in reference to Obamacare, also known as the Affordable Care Act. Trump had said that the US healthcare system was failing and that "Right now, Obamacare is failing. We have a failing system". This was in reference to the Affordable Care Act, which was a signature healthcare law of former president Barack Obama.
Trump's comments came as the US House of Representatives approved a Trump-backed bill that would overturn much of Obama's healthcare law. The bill was aimed at repealing and replacing Obamacare, and it narrowly passed in the House before being sent to the Senate, where it faced an uncertain future and little support.
Trump's remarks about the Australian healthcare system being better than that of the US were made during a meeting with Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull. Trump said, "I shouldn't say this to a great gentleman and my friend from Australia, but you have better healthcare than we do".
Trump's comments were seen as a startling admission about the US healthcare system and raised eyebrows, as they contradicted the plan that Trump and many Republicans were pushing at the time. Trump's endorsement of a universal healthcare model in his book "The America We Deserve" and his praise for the Canadian and Scottish systems also seemed at odds with the legislation he was promoting.
Despite Trump's comments, the White House later claimed that he was simply complimenting a foreign leader and that his remarks should not be interpreted as an endorsement of Australia's healthcare approach. White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders cautioned against reading too much into the president's comments, stating that he "didn't mean anything more" than complimenting the operations of Australia's healthcare system.
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Bernie Sanders responded positively to Trump's comments
In 2017, then-President Donald Trump told the Australian Prime Minister, Malcolm Turnbull, that Australia has a better healthcare system than the US. This came as a surprise to many, as Trump had just celebrated the House's vote to pass a bill to overhaul the US healthcare system, which would move the country further away from universal coverage.
Trump's comments were met with positive responses from Bernie Sanders, who is a long-time advocate of universal healthcare in the United States. Sanders, appearing on MSNBC, thanked Trump for his comments, saying: "Thank you, Mr. President! Let's take a look at the Australian healthcare system, and maybe he wants to look at the Canadian healthcare system, or systems throughout Europe. Thank you, Mr. President, let us move to a Medicare for all system." Sanders also took to Twitter, where he wrote: "Yes, Mr. Trump, the Australian health care system is a lot better than ours and infinitely better than the disastrous bill you supported."
Sanders, a self-described democratic socialist, further commented that the US Senate should use the Australian system as a model when crafting an alternative to the Republican healthcare legislation that Trump endorsed. He highlighted the cost-effectiveness of Australia's universal healthcare system, which guarantees better service to all Australians. In a separate tweet, Sanders acknowledged Trump's statement, saying: "He's not right very often, but on this issue, he is."
Sanders' positive reaction to Trump's comments can be seen as a strategic move to advance the cause of universal healthcare in the United States. By agreeing with Trump's assessment of the Australian healthcare system, Sanders seized an opportunity to promote his long-held belief in the need for universal healthcare coverage. This moment of agreement between the two politicians, despite their differing political ideologies, highlights a rare instance of bipartisan acknowledgement of the strengths of a universal healthcare model.
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Trump's comments were directed at Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull
Trump's comments about the Australian healthcare system being superior to that of the US were indeed directed at Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull. The comments were made during a meeting between the two leaders in 2017, shortly after the US House passed a bill to repeal parts of the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare.
Trump said, "I shouldn't say this to a great gentleman and my friend from Australia because you have better healthcare than we do." He went on to describe the US healthcare system as "failing". The comment was surprising, given that Trump had just celebrated the passing of the bill, which would have rolled back healthcare coverage.
The Australian healthcare system is a mix of public and private markets, with a publicly funded universal healthcare system working alongside private medical services. It is funded by a two percent income tax, with about half the population also purchasing private health insurance.
Trump's comments caused a stir, with some, like Bernie Sanders, seizing on the opportunity to advocate for a universal healthcare system in the US. Sanders, an independent senator from Vermont, tweeted, "Yes, Mr. President, the Australian health care system is a lot better than ours and infinitely better than the disastrous bill you supported." Sanders also quoted Trump's comments on MSNBC, saying, "Let's take a look at the Australian healthcare system. Maybe he wants to take a look at the Canadian healthcare system or systems throughout Europe."
However, White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders cautioned against reading too much into Trump's remarks, stating that he was merely complimenting a foreign leader and that he "didn't mean anything more than that." The White House later claimed that Trump's comment was simply empty flattery and that he did not intend to adopt Australia's healthcare approach.
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Trump's endorsement of Australia's healthcare system contradicts his own policies
In 2017, then-President Donald Trump remarked that Australia has a better healthcare system than the United States. This endorsement came as a surprise to many, as it contradicted his own policies and the direction in which he was attempting to take US healthcare. Trump made these comments shortly after the US House of Representatives approved a Trump-backed bill that would overturn much of former President Barack Obama's signature healthcare law, the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, and move the US system further away from universal healthcare.
Trump's praise for the Australian system was off-script and unexpected. He turned to Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and said:
> "I shouldn't say this to … my friend from Australia, because you have better healthcare than we do."
Trump's comments were met with a mixture of reactions. Some, like Senator Bernie Sanders, an advocate of a single-payer system, embraced the idea of looking to other countries for inspiration. Sanders said:
> "That's great. Let's take a look at the Australian healthcare system. Maybe he wants to take a look at the Canadian healthcare system or systems throughout Europe… Thank you, Mr. President. Let us move to a Medicare-for-all system that does what every other major country on earth does — guarantee healthcare to all people at a fraction of the cost per capita that we spend."
Sanders also tweeted:
> "Yes, Mr. Trump, the Australian health care system is a lot better than ours and infinitely better than the disastrous bill you supported."
On the other hand, the White House downplayed Trump's remarks, with spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders claiming he was merely complimenting a foreign leader and that "he didn't mean anything more than that."
Trump's endorsement of Australia's universal healthcare model contradicted his support for the American Health Care Act, which would have reduced insurance protections for the sick and resulted in millions more Americans without health coverage. Additionally, in his book 'The America We Deserve', published in 2000, Trump explicitly endorsed a universal healthcare model, and during his 2015 campaign, he stated that he wanted "everyone to be covered" and that "the government's gonna pay for it." However, the bill he supported moved in the opposite direction, indicating a shift in his stance.
While Trump's comments may have been unexpected, they reflect a growing sentiment among Americans that their government should ensure access to healthcare for all citizens. Progressive Democratic senator Elizabeth Warren, for example, has called for single-payer healthcare as party policy. While there is some resistance to this idea, with only 44% of voters supporting single-payer healthcare in one survey, there is a noticeable shift in voter attitudes, with 60% believing it is the government's responsibility to ensure healthcare for all, according to a Pew Research poll from January 2017.
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Frequently asked questions
Trump said that Australia has a better healthcare system than the US.
Trump made these comments in 2017, following the US House's approval of a Trump-backed bill that would overturn much of former president Barack Obama's healthcare law.
Australia has a publicly funded, universal healthcare system, with a Medicare system that has been in place for over 40 years. It is funded by income taxes, with everyone in the country having healthcare coverage, irrespective of their income, status, or pre-existing conditions.
Some people, like Bernie Sanders, were delighted by Trump's comments, with Sanders saying, "Let's take a look at the Australian healthcare system". However, White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders cautioned against reading too much into the president's comments, saying he was simply complimenting a foreign leader.
