12/18/2025
West Virginia Democratic Party: Trump Speech Ignores Health Care Crisis, Doubles Down on Falsehoods
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE December 18, 2025
Charleston, WV — The West Virginia Democratic Party strongly criticized President Donald Trump’s speech last night for what it conspicuously failed to address: the looming health care crisis facing millions of Americans, including tens of thousands of West Virginians.
President Trump said nothing about the 22 million Americans — including more than 60,000 West Virginians — who are at risk of losing their health care coverage due to the expiration of Affordable Care Act subsidies. At a moment when families are worried about doctor visits, prescriptions, and whether they can afford coverage at all, the President chose silence.
“For nearly a decade now, Donald Trump has promised that he was ‘two weeks away’ from releasing a health care plan that would be better, more comprehensive, and cheaper than the Affordable Care Act,” said West Virginia Democratic Party Chair Mike Pushkin. “He said it in his first term, he said it again on the campaign trail, and now—once again—he’s got nothing. No plan – not even the concept of a plan. No details. No answers for families who are scared they’re about to lose their coverage.”
The President again insisted that he has cut prescription drug prices by “600%”—a revision from his earlier claim of 1,500%. “I’m no math major,” Pushkin added, “but if drug prices were cut by 600%, we’d be getting money back from the pharmacy every time we filled a prescription. That’s not happening in West Virginia—or anywhere else.”
Trump also painted a rosy picture of the economy while ignoring basic facts. Unemployment is higher now than when he took office in January, and higher than at any point in the last five years. He doubled down on the false claim that gas prices have fallen to $1.99 a gallon, a figure that bears no resemblance to reality in West Virginia or across the country.
“The only jobs Donald Trump has actually created are for fact-checkers,” Pushkin said. “But you don’t need the media to fact-check his speech. Do it yourself. Check the price at the gas pump—you’re not paying $1.99 a gallon. Check your grocery bill. Try to buy a new car. The truth is right in front of you.”
“Donald Trump is detached from reality,” Pushkin said. “West Virginians deserve leadership grounded in facts, focused on real problems, and committed to making health care more affordable—not speeches built on fiction.”
