President Donald Trump proposed a new plan Saturday to “terminate” Obamacare by redirecting federal insurance subsidies directly to Americans, a move that would mark one of the most sweeping overhauls of the health care system in U.S. history.
The president unveiled the idea in a series of Truth Social posts early Saturday morning, saying the money “currently being sent to money-sucking insurance companies” should instead go to individuals so they can “purchase their own, much better, healthcare.”
“I am recommending to Senate Republicans that the hundreds of billions of dollars currently being sent to money-sucking insurance companies … BE SENT DIRECTLY TO THE PEOPLE,” Trump wrote. “Take from the BIG, BAD insurance companies, give it to the people, and terminate, per dollar spent, the worst healthcare anywhere in the world, ObamaCare.”
He added: “Unrelated, we must still terminate the filibuster!”
The president’s latest comments come as his administration faces mounting pressure to end the ongoing government shutdown, which has caused widespread delays for air travelers and uncertainty for millions of low-income Americans.
Trump and his allies have been under fire for the government’s refusal to pay SNAP food benefits to 42 million recipients during the shutdown — a decision currently tied up in federal court.
At the same time, Trump has been publicly urging Senate Republicans to “nuke” the filibuster and pass spending legislation without Democratic votes.
His Saturday morning post appeared to link the shutdown fight and his health care ambitions, suggesting that a direct-payment model for health subsidies could help offset the affordability issues Democrats have used to criticize him.
The president’s proposal echoes a recurring theme of his populist agenda — cutting out intermediaries and redirecting federal spending “to the people.” But critics and policy analysts quickly noted the plan’s logistical and fiscal challenges.
Trump vastly overstated the size of the government’s health insurance subsidies, claiming “hundreds of billions” are sent to insurers each year. In reality, the figure is closer to $138 billion for 2025, according to Congressional Budget Office estimates.
It’s also unclear how Americans would purchase health care coverage without going through insurance companies, which currently administer the plans under the Affordable Care Act.
The proposal drew mixed reactions even among conservatives. Some praised the idea of empowering individuals, while others warned that dismantling the ACA without a replacement could destabilize the insurance market and raise costs for millions.
Democrats accused Trump of trying to rehash a failed fight from his first term, when repeated efforts to repeal Obamacare collapsed in the Senate.
Trump’s new post, however, suggests he remains determined to eliminate the program entirely — a position that continues to divide voters ahead of the next budget standoff.
“The Democrats are winning in that they are destroying our great, miracle economy,” Trump wrote in a separate post minutes before his health care proposal. “Which is exactly what they set out to do. TERMINATE THE FILIBUSTER!”
For now, the White House has not released any official proposal outlining how Trump’s plan would work, how much it would cost, or how it would replace existing coverage. But his message — both to Congress and his base — was clear: end the filibuster, end the shutdown, and end Obamacare.
