Trump Has Reneged on His Affordability Promises

(SeaPRwire) –   He made these remarks at a private White House Easter luncheon, stating, “We can’t take care of day care. We’re a big country. We have 50 states. We have all these other people. We’re fighting wars.” He continued, “It’s not possible for us to take care of day care, Medicaid, Medicare, all these individual things. They can do it on a state basis. You can’t do it on a federal. We have to take care of one thing: military protection. We have to guard the country.”

American families from all political backgrounds hold a different view. Daily, citizens from diverse backgrounds express a common desire for care: having choices, affordability, more time with family, and reduced stress. Polling shows 88% of voters back the expansion of Medicare to cover long-term care, while 85% support more federal funding to states for child care affordability.

In the previous election cycle, President Trump appeared to recognize that care was central to affordability. A question posed to him as a candidate about making child care more affordable generated a viral response.

“Childcare is childcare… you have to have it,” he stated at the time. “We’re going to make this into a country that can afford to take care of its people and then worry about the rest of the world.”

Rather than fulfilling his pledge to “make America affordable again,” Trump has weakened fundamental care infrastructures. His administration’s 2025 budget slashed federal health spending by over $1 trillion, with significant reductions to Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), and Affordable Care Act (ACA) marketplaces. The budget also targeted Preschool Development Grants for elimination and proposed further cuts to family planning and maternal/child health initiatives. These reductions advance an agenda characterized by chaos, harshness, and now, international conflict. The sole constant is the President’s own unpredictability.

The consequences are being felt by American households. Nearly 50% of families struggle to pay for essentials such as housing, food, and transportation. Their largest financial burden? Care.

In several states, child care expenses now surpass housing costs. A majority of parents (55%) report going into debt due to child-related costs. The expense of in-home long-term care for elderly or disabled relatives has jumped 50% over five years, with a 10% increase last year alone—triple the inflation rate.

Since returning to office, the President has severely cut Medicaid, the primary funding source for in-home care, choosing instead to finance aggressive ICE operations and substantial tax cuts for the wealthy. This is in addition to tariffs that have already increased household costs.

Currently, Trump has involved the nation in a widely opposed war with Iran, costing taxpayers approximately $900 million daily. Families concurrently face higher fuel prices and prepare for further instability.

The President is now requesting $1.5 trillion from Congress to fund the war, financed by reductions in health care, nutrition programs, medical research, and other areas. He uses the pretext of fraud to justify deep cuts to Medicaid and Medicare, yet he is perpetrating the greatest deception: campaigning on affordability and peace, but presiding over rising prices and military engagement in Iran.

The 2025 elections saw candidates succeed by prioritizing care in their affordability platforms. Voters supported politicians like Abigail Spanberger in Virginia and Zohran Mamdani in New York, who pledged to reduce child care costs and enact paid family and medical leave. State legislatures are also acting; the Georgia Senate unanimously passed expanded maternity leave for state workers, and West Virginia introduced tax credits for businesses providing child care.

This shift is deliberate. It is driven by 130 million caregiving families and parents across both Republican and Democratic states who are uniting to demand change. This coalition includes over 38 million family caregivers residing in states Trump carried. Through their votes and advocacy, they are demonstrating that the President is mistaken. We are a large nation, which is precisely why we can indeed afford to support our children, assist our elderly and disabled loved ones to live with dignity and independence, and ensure workers are not penalized for serious illness or a new child. What is required are leaders who will make families a priority and take action.

For a President elected on an “America First” promise, Trump is effectively putting America last. The electorate desires investment in care, not foreign conflicts. In November, they will express this preference at the polls.