Trump Says He’d “Rather Not” Extend Obamacare Subsidies

Donald Trump says he’s not keen on continuing the Affordable Care Act subsidies set to expire at the end of the year, but he might do it anyway to make a broader health care deal happen.

Speaking to The Hill on Tuesday, Trump said he prefers an approach where Americans get money directly to buy their own health care instead of routing funds to insurance companies.

“I like my plan the best. Don’t give any money to the insurance companies, give it to the people directly,” he said. “Let them buy their own health care plan.”

Asked if he planned to extend the expiring subsidies, Trump didn’t mince words.

“I’d rather not extend them at all,” he said. “Some kind of extension may be necessary to get something else done, because the un-Affordable Care Act has been a disaster.”

While reports claimed he planned to offer a two-year extension with tighter eligibility, Trump pushed back, calling it false.

He confirmed ongoing discussions with Democrats but didn’t reveal any names. The possibility of a deal has drawn mixed reactions, especially from Republicans who have long opposed the ACA.

Democrats, on the other hand, have made the subsidy extension a central issue since the government shutdown, pressing Republicans to take a stand.