Sanders Says Trump Might Sign Medicare-for-All
The Vermont senator argued that the president may avoid a veto to claim a legislative win following Democrats' midterm victory.
By Ryan Carter ·
Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., stated on Thursday that he is not certain President Donald Trump would veto a Medicare-for-all bill. The senator made the comments during an interview on MS NOW, challenging the prevailing assumption that the legislation is guaranteed to die in the executive branch.
The discussion occurred the day after Democratic candidates secured major victories in Tuesday's midterms, reclaiming control of both the House and the Senate. Sanders used his new leverage to argue that Congress has a constitutional duty to pass the healthcare plan. He noted that support for the measure has risen to over 60% of Americans and is backed by the vast majority of Democrats.
Host Chris Hayes interrupted to note that the odds of Trump signing the bill into law appear very small. Hayes pointed out that the president has the constitutional right to veto the legislation and asked if Sanders believed the new majority could overcome that power. Sanders pushed back, telling the host to hold on for two points.
"Point No. 1: Trump has the constitutional right to veto if he wants to do it. But we have the constitutional right to represent the American people and to pass the damn thing," Sanders said. He added that the American people need to see that lawmakers are tired of maintaining a broken system.
The senator then argued that the president is a skilled politician who reads the public mood. "Donald Trump may be a bit crazy, but he is not stupid," Sanders said. He suggested that if the president sees that the system is widely viewed as broken, he might sign the bill to claim a political victory. "So, I am not absolutely certain that Trump would not sign it," Sanders concluded.
Psychotherapist Jonathan Alpert offered a different view in a statement to Fox News Digital. Alpert said Sanders has been making these arguments for decades and that calling healthcare a human right does not automatically solve the policy questions. Alpert characterized Sanders' comments as a form of psychological maneuvering, suggesting the senator is appealing to the president's ego to secure a signature.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital regarding Sanders' assessment of the veto process.
