What to Know
The increase in healthcare costs is a major concern for a large number of Americans — including people who voted for President Donald Trump. In recent days, after seeing the cost of health insurance with premium increases and the expiration of enhanced tax subsidies, some Trump supporters have taken to social media to assert that they can’t afford these changes.
Others have argued that while the increase in healthcare costs is obviously a significant issue, it’s not necessarily a surprise. During a debate in September 2024, Trump talked about replacing the Affordable Care Act. “Obamacare was lousy health care. Always was,” Trump said at the time. “It’s not very good today and, what I said, that if we come up with something, we are working on things, we’re going to do it and we’re going to replace it.” When questioned about how he would actually do this, he said he had “concepts of a plan.”
But some Trump voters seem shocked by rising costs.
As many Americans are faced with skyrocketing health insurance costs, Buzzfeed set out to find out how Trump voters feel about it. By looking through the r/LeopardsAteMyFace subreddit, the publication was able to find several unhappy (and seemingly surprised) Trump supporters. Their posts suggest that in their minds, what’s happening right now is not what they voted for. But others would beg to differ.
In one post shared via the subreddit, a Trump voter wrote, “Somebody please explain to me how the Republican Party who claims to be the Pro Family party is purposely raising the cost of health care that will destroy families. I voted for Trump but he is making me regret it.”
One critic summarized this situation with, “Votes for a guy with concepts of a healthcare plan. Is shocked when he has no healthcare plan.” Many others argued that the point the Trump voter made in his post was “obvious” long before now. “To pretend like none of this was obvious before you voted,” someone else reacted. “Eff off, guy. You’re only regretful because you thought you and yours would not get hurt, and you were fine with others suffering.”
Someone else paraphrased the original post with, “Somebody please explain to me the same thing they’ve been explaining to me for forty years.” Many others agreed that people have been explaining this for a very long time, and that these Trump voters only seem upset now that the policies are negatively impacting them personally.
Another Trump voter warned that ‘the average person cannot afford healthcare.’
Once again, those who did not vote for Trump pretended to be shocked. “What, the party that has spent the last 15 years trying to dismantle the AFFORDABLE Care Act made your prices go up? You don’t say,” one of them wrote in response.
In a separate post, another Trump voter wrote, “SO MR. TRUMP’S BIG BEAUTIFUL BILL IS BIG BULL!!! Tell me why you just jacked up my health insurance premium?!?…I voted for Trump but this has rubbed me raw because how you gone mess up ALL programs.”
Sarcastically, someone reacted with, “If only someone had warned her!” Another person wrote, “Yet another member of the ‘I didn’t care what he did until it affected me’ club. Have the life you voted for.”
86% of Americans are concerned about healthcare costs.
According to a Fox News national survey, this issue is a bipartisan concern right now. The survey found that 67% of Democrats are “extremely” concerned about costs, while 43% of Republicans feel the same way. Those who participated in the survey were also asked about their biggest healthcare concern. The survey found that Americans are most worried about the price of insurance.
