The White House on Tuesday downplayed remarks made earlier in the day by President Biden, who appeared to insinuate that House Republicans were “killing millions of Americans” by eliminating the Affordable Care Act.
The president spoke at an event in the nation’s capital earlier Tuesday, praising government spending on child care and other initiatives.
During his speech, the president criticized House Republicans for their budget ideas, which “cut care-giving programs by a third.”
“It would mean 260,000 fewer kids in child care,” Biden stated before accusing former President Trump and his “MAGA friends” of attempting to “terminate the Affordable Care Act.”
“Terminate it – well, guess what? – killing millions of Americans, take them off of health care insurance; it’s stripping others of services like home care, folks,” stated Vice President Joe Biden.
Later, Fox News’ Jacqui Heinrich questioned White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre about whether the president intended “to essentially accuse Republicans of murder.”
Jean-Pierre responded that Heinrich was taking the most “extreme evaluation of what the president said.” When Heinrich pointed out that the president’s language was “stronger than usual,” Jean-Pierre said that she was “taking what [Biden] said to the most extreme part of your definition.“
The White House press secretary chastised Republicans for voting to eliminate affordable health care “when it is saving people’s lives.”
“Why do they do this? Do they not want Americans to have affordable health care to protect themselves and save lives? This is the question to be asked. The president is trying to do the right thing. “He’s trying to be where the majority of Americans are by protecting our health care and their Medicare,” Jean-Pierre stated.
Last month, the Biden-Harris campaign accused former President Trump of threatening “political violence” after Trump, speaking about the auto industry at an Ohio rally, claimed there would be a “bloodbath” if he did not win the impending November election.
Trump had been discussing China and how “they think that they are going to sell” cars made in Mexico to the United States “with no tax at the border.”
After receiving criticism for his comment, Trump doubled down, repeating the term “bloodbath” again a few weeks later at a campaign event to slam Biden’s border policy.