President clarifies his comment about Australia’s universal system being superior to America’s, saying ‘everybody’ has better healthcare than the US

Donald Trump sought on Friday to clarify and clean up after his comments praising Australia’s universal healthcare system as superior to America’s. He did so by blaming Barack Obama’s signature legislation.

Republican healthcare bill heads to Senate, where it may undergo drastic changes Read more

The president triggered astonishment and glee by drawing the comparison in Australia’s favour during a meeting with Australia’s prime minister, Malcolm Turnbull, hours after the House narrowly passed a bill to repeal parts of the Affordable Care Act.

On Friday, Trump stuck to his guns – with a clarification. “Of course the Australians have better healthcare than we do – everybody does,” he wrote on Twitter. “Obamacare is dead! But our healthcare will soon be great.”

Australia has a government-funded system that provides free or subsidised care for all citizens and permanent residents, partially funded by income taxes. It would be anathema to US Republicans.

Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) Of course the Australians have better healthcare than we do --everybody does. ObamaCare is dead! But our healthcare will soon be great.

But Trump told Turnbull: “We have a failing healthcare. I shouldn’t say this to our great gentleman and my friend from Australia, because you have better healthcare than we do.”

Opponents pounced with relish. Senator Bernie Sanders, a former Democratic presidential candidate and champion of single-payer systems, tweeted: “Thank you Mr Trump for admitting that universal healthcare is the better way to go. I’ll be sure to quote you on the floor of the Senate.”

The White House also faced questions during its daily press briefing on Friday. The deputy press secretary, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, filling in for Sean Spicer, sought to play down the controversy.

“The president was complimenting a foreign leader on the operations of their healthcare system and that it didn’t mean anything more than that,” she told reporters. “I think he believes they have a good healthcare system for Australia.

“Again, that’s one of the biggest things that’s wrong with Obamacare. It’s tried to be a one-size-fits-all and that’s the opposite of what the plan is that we’re putting in place right now. It allows for state flexibility. What works in Australia may not work in the United States.

“So again, I think he was complimenting the prime minister and we’re focused on putting a healthcare plan in place that works here.”

Sanders was making her on-camera debut at the podium because Spicer was on naval reserve duty. There was an evident contrast in styles.

Sanders was also forced to defend Trump’s decision to spend a long weekend at his golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey, about 40 miles west of New York, his home where he spent only a few hours on Thursday night. Trump tweeted: “Rather than causing a big disruption in NYC, I will be working out of my home in Bedminster, NJ this weekend. Also saves country money!”

But the progressive Center for American Progress Action Fund (CAP Action) suggested that a single trip to Bedminster costs taxpayers nearly $840,000 over three days. It said it based this on estimates of similar activities from the US Government Accountability Office, the township of Bedminster and the conservative group Judicial Watch.

Molly Cain, senior researcher at CAP Action, said: “Whether he’s at Mar-a-Lago or Bedminster, we will hold President Trump accountable for lavishly spending taxpayer dollars at his own properties while trying to take healthcare away from 24 million people and doling out tax giveaways to the wealthiest Americans.”

At the White House, Sarah Huckabee Sanders said: “The bottom line is the president is the president no matter where he goes and he doesn’t get to control the level of cost and security that may come along with that.”

Asked why he did not spend more weekends working in Washington, the spokeswoman said: “This is the president’s first time to go back home to the New York metro area and I think he’s trying to save the taxpayers’ money the best way he can by taking his team and focus and being in New Jersey instead of in New York, where it would have caused a much greater disruption and much greater cost to tax payers.”

Sanders expressed confidence that the core of healthcare reform agreed by the House – such as creating a competitive environment and giving states more flexibility – would remain intact when it is negotiated by the Senate.

“We expect there to be some changes but we expect the principles and the main pillars of the healthcare bill as it exists now to remain the same,” she said.

Republican House members have told how Trump called them frequently. Sanders said members of the Senate should expect similar intensity.



“I think we’ve made very clear we’re going to be hands-on in this process. It’s a priority to fix a very broken system. Obamacare’s a disaster and this is isn’t a president who does things hands-off. He’s fully engaged on the House side; I expect him to be fully engaged on the Senate side and make sure that we get the bill that the American people deserve.”

Press briefings now come with additional pressure because Trump is probably watching on TV. Sanders did not impress every observer but she avoided some of the spectacular gaffes that have haunted Spicer.



Maggie Haberman, White House correspondent for the New York Times, tweeted: “Again, @SarahHuckabee delivering one of the smoother podium performances this administration has seen.”