48 Former Medical Officials Warn of Public Health Threat from Trump Re-Election over Healthcare Rollback

According to a group of 48 former medical officials, including six former presidents of the American Medical Association and four former acting surgeons general, the re-election of Donald Trump would pose a serious threat to public health. In a statement, the group warned that under a Trump administration, healthcare costs for American families would skyrocket, and millions would lose access to healthcare altogether. They cited Trump’s previous attempts to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act (ACA) as evidence of his plans to dismantle the current healthcare system. The group also expressed concern about Trump’s proposals to cut funding for programs such as CHIP, eliminate agencies like the CDC and FDA, and restrict access to abortion. By contrast, President Biden has pledged to protect healthcare and work to lower costs. However, former HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt claimed that Biden’s promises were “outright lies”, accusing him of destroying the ACA and offering free healthcare to undocumented immigrants. Leavitt argued that a second term for Trump would result in higher taxes, higher healthcare costs, and longer wait times for medical treatment, as part of what he described as Biden’s “war on the working class”.