An Inconvenient Truth for Trump and the GOP

In the movie “A Few Good Men,” Tom Cruise demands, “I want the Truth!”

And Jack Nicolson replies,” You can’t handle the Truth!”

That fictional scene is playing out in real life as we speak. But the American people are playing the role of Tom Cruise and the part of Jack Nicolson is being played by the GOP.

In a rare show of political cowardice, Donald Trump, Mitch McConnell and the Republican controlled Senate are drafting a repeal of the Affordable Care Act, and they don’t want the American people to know the details. I suppose they are of the opinion that the voters can’t handle the truth.

In the world of politics, “truth” is a subjective matter, and politicians are very leery of speaking in plain terms, with actual facts to back up their claims. However, even skilled politicians like Mitch McConnell can’t get away from the dreaded science of math. Unlike political talking points, numbers mean something and they don’t lie.

The so-called GOP “healthcare bill” by the numbers is a work of deviant art. Unfortunately, it’s also (to quote Donald Trump) “mean.”

According to the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office, the two biggest numbers to consider:

The GOP bill would slash federal healthcare assistance to low and moderate income Americans by nearly $1 trillion.

The repeal of the ACA will increase the number of uninsured by 23 million over the next decade.

You want the Truth! Here it is.

The GOP bill takes federal assistance away from low and moderate income Americans and funnels that money into tax breaks for corporations and the wealthy.

Want more Truth? Here you go.

More people with pre-existing conditions will lose their healthcare coverage.

Strangely enough, Donald Trump, Mitch McConnell and the rest of the GOP are correct. The American people can’t handle “the Truth” of being robbed of healthcare in order to pay for tax cuts for the rich.

Robin Hood in reverse … robbing from the poor to give to the rich is a hard sell.

Unfortunately for the GOP, they can run but they can’t hide from their constituents. Like it or not, they will have to explain to the American people why “less is more” and why healthcare is being stolen from them to offset tax cuts.

Here is an inconvenient truth for Donald Trump and the GOP to consider.

The Democrats got thrown out of power because they had the moral backbone to give the American people more access to affordable healthcare.

That being the case, what is going to happen to the Republican Party when they manage to take away that healthcare?