Jonathan Gruber fires back at Trump over ACA criticism

During Sunday night's presidential debate, Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump said even the Affordable Care Act's chief architect, Jonathan Gruber, said the healthcare legislation was a scam. Mr. Gruber fired back at Mr. Trump in an official statement Monday, reports Boston Business Journal.

Mr. Trump said Sunday night, "You know that, because Jonathan Gruber, the architect of Obamacare, was said — he said it [the ACA] was a great lie, it was a big lie. President [Barack] Obama said you keep your doctor, you keep your plan. The whole thing was a fraud, and it doesn't work."

Trump was referring to comments Mr. Gruber made in 2014, when Mr. Gruber admitted ACA legislation was written in an ambiguous and complicated manner due to "the stupidity of the American voter" to ensure the law's passage.

Mr. Gruber has since apologized for and recanted the comment.

When asked to respond to Mr. Trump's statement, Mr. Gruber said the debate showed which candidate fully grasped healthcare reform.

"My only comment is that [Sunday] night showed the difference between a candidate with a strong and coherent healthcare agenda (Clinton) and one with a garbage salad of right wing talking points (Trump)," Mr. Gruber wrote in an email to Boston Business Journals.

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