Washington (CNN) President Donald Trump abruptly ended a Saturday news conference after a reporter challenged him on a lie about veterans health care he has told more than 150 times.
Trump, speaking at his Bedminster, New Jersey, golf club, had claimed again that he is the one who got the Veterans Choice program passed -- adding, "They've been trying to get that passed for decades and decades and decades and no president's ever been able to do it, and we got it done."
In fact, former President Barack Obama signed the Choice program into law in 2014. The law, which allowed eligible veterans to be covered by the government for care provided by doctors outside the VA system, was a bipartisan initiative spearheaded by two senators Trump has repeatedly criticized, Bernie Sanders of Vermont and the late John McCain of Arizona.
What Trump signed was a 2018 law, the VA MISSION Act, that modified and expanded the eligibility criteria from the Choice program. Rather than tout that bill, Trump has claimed over and over that he created Veterans Choice itself -- after others had failed for "50 years."
"Why do you keep saying that you passed Veterans Choice?" CBS News White House correspondent Paula Reid asked Trump at the Saturday news conference, during which Trump announced executive actions on coronavirus relief.
psychetron on August 9th, 2020 at 01:30 UTC »
So easily proven false. And when questioned on it, he panics and walks off. What a complete and total liar and coward.
davidsandbrand on August 9th, 2020 at 01:04 UTC »
I hope that all decent reporters pickup on this: Trump will end press briefings when called on a lie.
All press briefing Q&As should start with Trump’s lies being called out at point-blank.
WallyMcBeetus on August 9th, 2020 at 00:47 UTC »
The GOP hates veterans.