Trump's lies about health care offer Democrats a chance to counter his self-praise on the economy: op-ed

In an op-ed for The Atlantic today, Ronald Brownstein writes that when it comes to President Trump's so-far effective messaging on the economy, Democrats should highlight his lies about healthcare if they want to tip the presidential election in their favor this fall.

During his State of the Union speech this Tuesday night, Trump bragged about job growth and record low unemployment for African Americans and Latinos, and stock market highs. "But Trump’s treatment of health care was very different," Brownstein writes. "Though he was just as assertive in his tone, the president made a series of false claims—in particular, he repeatedly lied about his administration’s unrelenting efforts to gut the Affordable Care Act. To Democrats, Trump’s determination to surround his health-care record with what Winston Churchill once called a 'bodyguard of lies' clearly signaled that the president recognizes how vulnerable his record could prove this fall."

Unfortunately for Democrats, as Trump's approval ratings on the economy increase, so has his overall approval ratings. But when it comes to his performance on healthcare, the public's feelings tell a different story.

"In an Associated Press/National Opinion Research Center survey last month, just 38 percent of Americans said they approved of his record on health care—a grade that has stayed relatively stable since he took office—compared with 56 percent who approved of his handling of the economy, the highest of his presidency," Brownstein writes.

In 2020, Trump's record on healthcare "probably offers Democrats their best chance to inoculate themselves against Trump’s claim that the economy is working for most Americans."

Read his full piece over at The Atlantic.