Donald Trump doesn’t like anyone getting credit for anything unless it’s him. That has led to him notoriously taking credit for things he didn’t even do — especially Obama-era improvements, as he seriously can’t stand his predecessor receiving any praise.
In a fact check conducted by the Associated Press and deliciously published on Memorial Day, Trump was busted for doing just that, yet again, when he took credit for improvements made to veteran healthcare that were actually implemented under former president Barack Obama.
The Associated Press report read, “President Donald Trump and his Veterans Affairs secretary are claiming full credit for health care improvements that were underway before they took office.”
The report by Associated Press determined that Trump wrongfully claimed that he passed a private-sector healthcare plan specifically for veterans for the first time in “45 years.” He said at a rally in Montoursville, Pennsylvania earlier this month, “We passed VA Choice and VA Accountability to give our veterans the care that they deserve and they have been trying to pass these things for 45 years.”
However, the program POTUS is referring to, called Veteran’s Choice, was actually first put into place and signed into law by none other than former POTUS Barack Obama.
Donald himself isn’t the only one perpetuating this lie as his VA Secretary, Robert Wilkie is also spreading mistruths, claiming, “The first thing I did was change out the leadership at VA. … (The president) also allowed me to change out leadership in the VA centers. If someone wasn’t walking the post, getting to know the people who work for her or him, or getting to know those veterans, they had to leave. And, as a result, the Journal of the American Medical Association this year said that our waiting times are now as good or better than any in the private sector.”
While it is true that wait times have improved at VA medical centers, Wilkie had nothing to do with it. The study that found lower wait time to be true mainly covered the period under the Obama administration, before Wilkie ever became VA Secretary.
We are all well aware that Trump and his administration are nothing but crooks and liars. But it’s still nice to see him called out, especially after he made such a mockery of Memorial Day.
You can read the full report by the Associated Press here.
Featured image via DC Tribune GalleryÂ
