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The Biden campaign plans to seize upon Trump’s Tulsa claim that he asked officials to "slow the [coronavirus] testing down, please" to focus on Trump’s broader policy goal of dismantling the Affordable Care Act. (Trump’s campaign later said he was joking.)
The Biden strategy is pretty straightforward: Reiterate Biden’s commitment to Obamacare while signaling that he is open to revising it with a public option — all while drawing a contrast with President Trump, who continues to call for its repeal.
The big picture: Even during the pandemic, the Trump administration is continuing its assault on one of President Obama’s signature issues and is expected to file a Supreme Court brief to repeal the law this week.
- Biden’s campaign is salivating about that expected filing and will use it to bludgeon Trump on both his COVID-19 response and his opposition to Obamacare.
- Expect Biden’s team to call on Trump to explain how he plans to provide health care to an estimated 20 million Americans who have lost their jobs, and likely, their health insurance.
The other side: In early May, Trump hinted that his opposition had softened, but that he’d still work to repeal it: “Obamacare is a disaster, but we’ve made it barely acceptable,” Trump said.