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President Donald Trump and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (National Archives)
President Donald Trump tweeted his support for Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY). Who saw that coming?
At a town hall meeting, Ocasio-Cortez argued against the privatization of veteran's health care, saying that the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs provides "some of the highest quality care."
<p>"If it ain't broke, don't fix it," <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/ocasio-cortez-defends-va-healthcare-to-veterans-if-it-aint-broke-dont-fix-it">she said</a>.</p><p><div id="insticator-container" class="embedid-ee1b1245-7f34-4d5c-8a70-c8be74fe7696"><div id="div-insticator-ad-1"></div><div id="insticator-embed"></div><div id="div-insticator-ad-2"></div><script data-cfasync="false" type="text/javascript">Insticator.ad.loadAd("div-insticator-ad-1");Insticator.ad.loadAd("div-insticator-ad-2");Insticator.load("em",{id : "ee1b1245-7f34-4d5c-8a70-c8be74fe7696"})</script></div></p><p>Republican Phil Roe (R-TN) heartily disagreed:</p><p>"While Rep. Ocasio-Cortez and I have VA medical facilities in and near our districts with great quality ratings, not all veterans are so lucky....It is evident that she <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/top-republican-fires-back-at-aoc-over-her-praise-of-va-health-care-apparently-ignorance-is-bliss">paid little attention</a> to the scandalous treatment of veterans that occurred several years ago by some in the very agency created to serve them," he said.</p><p>Surprisingly, <a href="https://observer.com/2019/04/veterans-affairs-troubles-trump-alexandria-ocasio-cortez-wrong/">Donald Trump</a> sided with Ocasio-Cortez on the matter. However, they agreed for different reasons.</p><p>While AOC stood against the privatization of veteran care in opposition to greed from the pharmaceutical industry, Trump saw a chance to brag.</p><p><div data-conversation-spotlight=""></div></p><p></p><div id="f76b0" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="YQPCPS1574873772"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1121095181690974208" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is correct, the VA is not broken, it is doing great. But that is only because of the… https://t.co/2XHTS0gNl9</div> — Donald J. Trump (@Donald J. Trump)<a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/statuses/1121095181690974208">1556124894.0</a></blockquote></div><p></p><p>This didn't go over well on Twitter.</p><p></p><div id="99346" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="YAC4WC1574873773"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1121095866700324865" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">@realDonaldTrump Remember when you took veteran funding and instead used it to pay for caging children at the border?</div> — Treason Stickers (@Treason Stickers)<a href="https://twitter.com/treasonstickers/statuses/1121095866700324865">1556125058.0</a></blockquote></div><p></p><p></p><div id="7d6e7" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="H8ZUBS1574873773"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1121110750989303808" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">@realDonaldTrump Come to Jacksonville to the VA canter at Southpoint and speak with my doctor on the Orange team. S… https://t.co/rWLWnYpJ0e</div> — Robert Wasdin (@Robert Wasdin)<a href="https://twitter.com/RobertWasdin/statuses/1121110750989303808">1556128606.0</a></blockquote></div><p></p><p></p><div id="c8d1b" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="UL12511574873773"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1121114365489336320" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">@realDonaldTrump System still broken. Husband is a vet and has to deal with appts pushed out weeks instead of days… https://t.co/og1tjoAvbG</div> — Darlene Soliz (@Darlene Soliz)<a href="https://twitter.com/DarleneSoliz/statuses/1121114365489336320">1556129468.0</a></blockquote></div><p></p><p>Under the current Veterans Choice Program, eligible veterans can receive health care from a community provider instead of waiting for care at a VA facility. Ocasio-Cortez lauded the program, likening it to her Medicaid for all proposal in the Green New Deal.</p><p></p><div id="5a811" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="E30PNI1574873773"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1120839583560867842" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">We invite @AOC to a polite conversation about just how bad the VA healthcare system, and some of its employees, can… https://t.co/BRsgFwkSSN</div> — Coming Home Well (@Coming Home Well)<a href="https://twitter.com/ComingHomeWell/statuses/1120839583560867842">1556063955.0</a></blockquote></div><p></p><p>"They are trying to fix the VA for pharmaceutical companies, they are trying to fix the VA for insurance corporations, and, ultimately, they are trying to fix the VA for a for-profit healthcare industry that does not put people or veterans first," Ocasio-Cortez said.</p><p>"Problems and inconsistencies like that are the definition of a system that needs fixing," Roe <a href="https://ijr.com/phil-roe-slams-aoc-va/">shot back</a> in a statement. "I am baffled as to how Rep. Ocasio-Cortez fails to see that."</p><p></p><div id="667c6" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="GNE8XS1574873773"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1120663577050980352" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">.@AOC & every politician should have to get their healthcare from the #VA. All the healthcare issues that veterans… https://t.co/3vI2oLwilz</div> — Sean Parnell (@Sean Parnell)<a href="https://twitter.com/SeanParnellUSA/statuses/1120663577050980352">1556021992.0</a></blockquote></div><p></p><p></p><div id="c2d66" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="GPWAOJ1574873773"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1120499957046435841" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">@HuntsmanAbby @MeghanMcCain @AOC It was not the result of the care. The care is superior. However, the antiquated s… https://t.co/jx2ewZ9tNw</div> — Texas Y’all (@Texas Y’all)<a href="https://twitter.com/texasdemyall/statuses/1120499957046435841">1555982982.0</a></blockquote></div><p></p><p>Even as he sided with Ocasio-Cortez, Trump tried to take credit for improving access to healthcare for veterans. In Trump's tweet, he says the Trump administration "got Veterans Choice & Accountability passed." In actuality, the Veteran's Choice Act had nothing to do with the Trump administration at all - it was passed by Barack Obama in 2014.</p><p></p><div id="fec9c" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="EQKQMH1574873773"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1121109734764032013" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">@realDonaldTrump https://t.co/484hG7ZhOm</div> — Nancy C Robertson (@Nancy C Robertson)<a href="https://twitter.com/c_nancyr/statuses/1121109734764032013">1556128364.0</a></blockquote></div><p></p><p></p><div id="12095" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="XEADD51574873774"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1121110111525560320" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">@realDonaldTrump You mean the Veterans Choice & Accountability Act that passed in 2014? That one? The one Obama signed?</div> — Thor Benson (@Thor Benson)<a href="https://twitter.com/thor_benson/statuses/1121110111525560320">1556128454.0</a></blockquote></div><p></p><p></p><div id="e0621" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="34MHVZ1574873774"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1121098592565862401" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">@iTalkiChadwick @realDonaldTrump https://t.co/q2Sw5nsVmN</div> — Nick H. (@Nick H.)<a href="https://twitter.com/Hiromi_UKnowMe/statuses/1121098592565862401">1556125708.0</a></blockquote></div><p></p><p>Trump did <a href="https://www.military.com/daily-news/2018/06/06/trump-signs-55-billion-bill-replace-va-choice-program.html">sign a bill</a> to continue the VCA program in 2018, which he has conflated with signing initial bill on several occasions.</p><p></p><div id="0ce09" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="SGCV551574873774"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1121116439723642880" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">@realDonaldTrump Fun fact: 👇
https://t.co/eTWFGEtBKh</div> — Kathy Nole (@Kathy Nole)<a href="https://twitter.com/KathyNole1/statuses/1121116439723642880">1556129963.0</a></blockquote></div><p></p><p>"If we really want to fix the VA so badly, let’s start hiring, and fill up some of those 49,000 [staff] vacancies," <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/ocasio-cortez-defends-va-healthcare-to-veterans-if-it-aint-broke-dont-fix-it">Ocasio-Cortez said</a>. Pretty sure Trump didn't listen to that part of her speech before he sided with her about veteran's care.</p>
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