Trump on Health Care: ‘We’re Not Going to Let People Die in Squalor Because We Are Republicans’

Sunday on NBC’s “Meet The Press,” fresh off his South Carolina primary win, Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump discussed his health care policy proposal and doubled down on his claim to somehow provide care to everyone.

Partial transcript as follows:

TRUMP: Well, on the mandate, if you look at the mandate, we had a situation where we were Anderson Cooper, who’s terrific by the way and did a terrific job, but we were talking over each other. Look, I want — we’re going to repeal and replace ObamaCare. ObamaCare is a total and complete disaster. It’s going to be gone. We’re going to come up with a great health-care plan, whether it’s health care savings accounts. We have a lot of different things. We can get rid of the lines between states, we’ll have great competitive bidding. But I say all the time, you can call it anything you want. People are not going to die in the middle of the street. People are not going to die on the sidewalk if I’m president, okay.

TODD: Let me get something definitive from you on this —

TRUMP: Chuck, excuse me, I say that to packed houses with thousands and thousands of people. Republicans mostly. And I get standing ovations. I’m not going to let that happen. If I’m president, we’re not going to have people dying on the streets. You can call it whatever you want —

TODD: No, I understand that. Let me ask you this —

TRUMP: I don’t call it mandate, it’s common sense.

TODD: Do you think that it should be a law anybody who can afford health insurance has to have it?

TRUMP: I think, no. I think it’s going to be up to them. I want it to be up to them. But I’m really talking about people that can’t afford it. We’re not going to let people die in squalor because we are Republicans. Okay? That’s part of the problem with the Republicans. Somehow they got fed into this horrible position. We’re going to take care of people. But, no, people don’t have to have it. We’re going to have great plans. They’re going to be a lot less expensive than ObamaCare. They’re going to be private. There are going to be lots of different options. We’re going to have a lot of different options. Right now you have no options. You know why? Because the insurance company controlled Obama because they gave him a lot of money. That’s why you have lines around the states and you can’t get competitive bidding.

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