Explosive new book says Trump asked why Medicare can't just cover everyone
- President Donald Trump asked aides why everyone can't be covered under Medicare, according to a new book.
- The Medicare-for-all idea has been advanced in a bill offered by Sen. Bernie Sanders and Democrats.
- Trump also reportedly had "little or no interest" in the Obamacare repeal fight.
President Donald Trump reportedly mused to top aides about a healthcare policy that aligns with Bernie Sanders' healthcare platform, according to the explosive new book "Fire and Fury" by author Michael Wolff.
Wolff wrote that when the president was discussing healthcare and the possible repeal of the Affordable Care Act, he asked aides, "Why can't Medicare simply cover everybody?"
The idea of Medicare-for-all has grown popular in recent years among the left wing of the Democratic Party. Sanders introduced last year a bill that would expand the government healthcare program for seniors, drawing support from an array of Democratic senators, including Cory Booker, Kamala Harris, Elizabeth Warren, and 13 others.
Advocates for the idea say expanding Medicare would help to cover nearly all Americans and could allow the government to negotiate prices to bring down costs. Experts disagree about its potential effects.
In the early days of his presidency, Trump promised to "take care of everybody" with his healthcare plan at a lower cost. The eventual repeal and replace bills Republicans advanced would have reduced the number of people with insurance by anywhere from 21 million to 24 million over the next 10 years and caused premiums for many to increase.
In the book, Wolff also wrote that Trump had little interest in the policy side of the healthcare debate and was willing to turn over the reigns on the repeal and replace bill to House Speaker Paul Ryan.
"Trump had little or no interest in the central Republican goal of repealing Obamacare," Wolff said.