‘But nice try’: Maddow destroys Republicans -- by name -- who are lying about protecting preexisting conditions

With voters consistently telling public opinion pollsters that health care is the top issue in the midterm elections, Rachel Maddow noted the national trend of Republican candidates misleading voters about their records of denying people with preexisting conditions.

The host described it as a "new, weird, and widespread dynamic that you can see unfold right now in realtime in your home district -- no matter who is running in your home district -- you are seeing this happen."

"Republicans are desperately trying -- both in Congress and in the states and through the courts -- to kill coverage for preexisting conditions, that's what they're actively working on," Maddow explained. "Don't listen to what they say, watch what they do."

Maddow played a clip showing Governor Scott Walker (R-WI) claiming to support coverage of preexisting conditions.

"Actually, under Governor Scott Walker, Wisconsin is the lead named plaintiff on the federal lawsuit that would eliminate Obamacare -- including specifically its protections for people with preexisting conditions, but nice try," Maddow noted.

Maddow also played a clip of Josh Hawley, who is running for the U.S. Senate in Missouri, claiming to support forcing insurance companies to cover preexisting conditions.

"Actually, Josh Hawley is the Attorney General in the State of Missouri, who is personally handling that state's part in the federal lawsuit to kill Obamacare, including its protections for preexisting conditions," she noted. "But again, nice try."

Matter continued to fact-check Republicans, including Florida Gov. Rick Scott, North Dakota Senate candidate Kevin Cramer, Arizona Senate candidate Martha McSally, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, and Nevada Sen. Dean Heller.

"So did you, Dana Rohrabacher, Russian congressman up for reelection," Maddow joked.

"Democrats are running on health care, Republicans are pretending to be Democrats running on health care, completely denying their old voting records, and what they're actually doing right now on the subject," she concluded.

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