Donald Trump Tweeted About Britain's NHS. The Brits Weren't Happy
President Donald Trump has landed himself in hot water across the pond, after he tweeted on Monday morning criticising Britain’s National Health Service (NHS).
In an tweet about Democrats who want universal healthcare, Trump used the NHS as an example of a system that doesn’t work, referring to the latter as “broke”.
“The Democrats are pushing for Universal HealthCare while thousands of people are marching in the UK because their U system is going broke and not working,” he said. The President referred to recent marches when 60,000 people took to London’s streets to demand more funding from the Conservative government for the NHS, which has been overwhelmed at times over the winter.
“Dems want to greatly raise taxes for really bad and non-personal medical care. No thanks!” he added.
The Democrats are pushing for Universal HealthCare while thousands of people are marching in the UK because their U system is going broke and not working. Dems want to greatly raise taxes for really bad and non-personal medical care. No thanks!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 5, 2018
People in Britain’s two main political parties weren’t happy — perhaps unsurprising, given the overwhelming popularity of nationalized health care in the U.K. In a 2013 poll the NHS topped the army and the monarchy as the greatest source of British pride. The healthcare system was also celebrated during the London 2012 Olympics Opening Ceremony.
People are so proud of the NHS in the UK that it starred alongside James Bond in the 2012 Olympic Opening Ceremony. Imagine an American Olympics trying to highlight our health care system when the biggest cause of personal bankruptcy in the US is medical debt. https://t.co/Qjcx4N2owz
— Brian Klaas (@brianklaas) February 5, 2018
Jeremy Corbyn, the leader of the opposition Labour Party — which launched the NHS in 1948 — tweeted back at the U.S. President: “Wrong. People were marching because we love our NHS and hate what the Tories [or the Conservative Party] are doing to it. Healthcare is a human right.”
Wrong. People were marching because we love our NHS and hate what the Tories are doing to it. Healthcare is a human right. https://t.co/Pmo2xYSqZh
— Jeremy Corbyn (@jeremycorbyn) February 5, 2018
Jeremy Hunt, the British health secretary and a Conservative MP, said: “I may disagree with claims made on that march but not ONE of them wants to live in a system where 28m people have no cover.”
“NHS may have challenges but I’m proud to be from the country that invented universal coverage – where all get care no matter the size of their bank balance.”
I may disagree with claims made on that march but not ONE of them wants to live in a system where 28m people have no cover. NHS may have challenges but I’m proud to be from the country that invented universal coverage - where all get care no matter the size of their bank balance https://t.co/YJsKBAHsw7
— Jeremy Hunt (@Jeremy_Hunt) February 5, 2018
Others have pointed out that Trump completely missed the point of the marches:
Donald Trump says the NHS is broken, & thousands march about it in the streets. But they were marching because they want to keep it as it is. Fake news. Sad.
— John Simpson (@JohnSimpsonNews) February 5, 2018
They were marching for literally the opposite reason: love of the NHS and more funding to make it work properly. https://t.co/10QUGTzfrm
— James Longman (@JamesAALongman) February 5, 2018
Trump’s incendiary tweet comes just days after his meeting with British Prime Minister Theresa May at the World Economic Forum in Davos, where attempts were made to patch up their already strained relationship ahead of Trump’s planned state visit to Britain later this year.