Former President Donald Trump is no stranger to making inaccurate statements on social media. For one thing, he claimed President Barack Obama receives $40 million in royalties from the passage of the Affordable Care Act. This assertion has been roundly criticized and debunked at least as far back as 2017. It originally bubbled up through a web of satirical websites started and maintained by a guy named Blair.
The satire originated on America’s Last Line of Defense, a website that specializes in producing made-up news articles. Despite being labeled as satire, the claim has gained traction among certain political circles, particularly among critics of the Affordable Care Act. Earlier this weekend, Trump lashed out at Obamacare in a series of tweets. He went on social media to make his case against it.
This isn’t the first time we’ve refuted the claim. Snopes, one of the nation’s leading fact-checking organizations, has debunked this claim, over and over. They make clear that Obama doesn’t get royalties for implementation of the Affordable Care Act he signed into law in 2010. The Affordable Care Act was designed to provide affordable healthcare access to millions more Americans. It has ignited some of the ugliest political firestorms right from the start.
In a rather amusing coincidence, Governor of Texas, Greg Abbott, posted an entirely fictitious article from his home state that originated from the Dunning-Kruger-Times. In addition to his work on the Bee, Blair operates the Media Research Center’s network of other satirical websites and social media accounts. He previously referred to Abbott as one of the “dumbest people in the country,” illustrating here how ridiculous the fabrications are.
“dumbest people in the country” – Greg Abbott (said by Blair, owner of the network of satirical websites and social media accounts)
The wave of new misinformation against the Affordable Care Act and its creator further highlights the current climate of American politics. Senate Democrats are currently calling to extend the expanded tax credits for people who depend on Obamacare. This move is accelerating a robust debate about the future direction of healthcare policy.