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| Version 0 | Version 1 |
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| Republicans spar over Obamacare and pre-existing health conditions | Republicans spar over Obamacare and pre-existing health conditions |
| (about 13 hours later) | |
| As his opponents in the Republican debate on Thursday sought to reel in his big polling lead, Donald Trump came under heavy fire. On domestic policy, after fierce opening exchanges on immigration, one of the key issues on which senators Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio focused was healthcare. | As his opponents in the Republican debate on Thursday sought to reel in his big polling lead, Donald Trump came under heavy fire. On domestic policy, after fierce opening exchanges on immigration, one of the key issues on which senators Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio focused was healthcare. |
| Rubio went after Trump on policy specifics; Cruz accused him of supporting socialized medicine for all. | Rubio went after Trump on policy specifics; Cruz accused him of supporting socialized medicine for all. |
| Related: Republican debate: Trump under fire as Rubio and Cruz attack – live | Related: Republican debate: Trump under fire as Rubio and Cruz attack – live |
| First came a long exchange over the intricacies of plans to repeal Obamacare that descended into characteristic bickering about who repeated himself more. | First came a long exchange over the intricacies of plans to repeal Obamacare that descended into characteristic bickering about who repeated himself more. |
| Amid the bickering, however, Trump said he would throw out Obamacare but keep requirements that insurers cover pre-existing conditions. | |
| This prompted Rubio to unfurl an effective attack line: “You may not be aware of this Donald, because you don’t follow this stuff very closely, but here’s what happened,” he said – highlighting Trump’s general lack of policy detail. | This prompted Rubio to unfurl an effective attack line: “You may not be aware of this Donald, because you don’t follow this stuff very closely, but here’s what happened,” he said – highlighting Trump’s general lack of policy detail. |
| Rubio then said Obamacare included a bailout for insurance companies who couldn’t sustain the initial costs of the new law. | Rubio then said Obamacare included a bailout for insurance companies who couldn’t sustain the initial costs of the new law. |
| Cruz followed and went for the jugular, accusing Trump of advocating for socialized medicine. | Cruz followed and went for the jugular, accusing Trump of advocating for socialized medicine. |
| Saying Trump liked the federal women’s health agency Planned Parenthood, while he would investigate it and prosecute any infractions, Cruz added: “Donald wants to end [Obamacare] because he says that it doesn’t nearly go far enough. | Saying Trump liked the federal women’s health agency Planned Parenthood, while he would investigate it and prosecute any infractions, Cruz added: “Donald wants to end [Obamacare] because he says that it doesn’t nearly go far enough. |
| “For decades Donald has been advocating socialized medicine … If you’re a small business owner, Donald Trump’s socialized healthcare will kill more jobs than Obamacare.” | |
| Cruz then asked: “True or false: you said the government should pay for everyone’s healthcare.” | |
| Trump said: “False”. | Trump said: “False”. |
| Related: Cruz and Rubio double team Trump on immigration | Related: Cruz and Rubio double team Trump on immigration |
| Then Cruz brought up as an attack a line from a couple of debates ago, in which Trump said he would not let people “die on the sidewalk”. | |
| Trump stood by his position, saying: “I will not let people die on the streets if I’m president.” | |
| And then, the billionaire managed a moment of humanity, which strangely – under the force of Cruz’s cross-examination – felt like some kind of moment of grace: “We’re going to have private healthcare. I am not going to let people die on the streets or the sidewalks of this country, if I am president. | And then, the billionaire managed a moment of humanity, which strangely – under the force of Cruz’s cross-examination – felt like some kind of moment of grace: “We’re going to have private healthcare. I am not going to let people die on the streets or the sidewalks of this country, if I am president. |
| “You might be fine with it,” he said to Cruz. “I’m not fine with it.” | “You might be fine with it,” he said to Cruz. “I’m not fine with it.” |