JD Vance’s mother and cousin purchased private health insurance through Obamacare, the Washington Post reported. The GOP vice presidential pick has repeatedly defended Donald Trump’s record on healthcare by revealing members of his family moved off Medicaid during his running mate’s time in the Oval Office. However, the Post’s reporting revealed that Vance’s relatives used state insurance marketplaces created by the Affordable Care Act, legislation the former president called a “joke” in 2020. The Ohio statesman’s position reflects efforts by fellow conservatives to credit Trump for taking charge of the US healthcare market, claiming the former president stabilized the ACA. “Donald Trump could have destroyed the program,” Vance said during the vice presidential debate against Tim Walz. “Instead, he worked in a bipartisan way to ensure that Americans had access to affordable care.” Contradictingly, Republicans spent seven years attempting to repeal the act after it was signed into law in 2010. A Trump-led effort to claw back the legislation failed by one vote. Despite the former president’s attacks on Obamacare, his administration ran most of its initiatives and some consumers reported cheaper insurance premiums.
