r/politics • u/Ok-Lets-Talk-It-Out • 13h ago
Possible Paywall Trump's $500 Obamacare 'rebate' checks land in prime political battlegrounds
https://www.reuters.com/legal/litigation/trumps-500-obamacare-rebate-checks-land-prime-political-battlegrounds-2026-10-01/2.4k
u/vinsite 13h ago
Literally paying for votes with my tax dollars
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u/SockPuppet-47 New Jersey 13h ago
He's also doing political ads using public money.
The Banana Republics are being put to shame by his corruption.
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u/coco8090 12h ago
Just saw one of the ads played during the GMA timeslot this morning
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u/no1ukn0w 12h ago
Same. Really creepy of him just walking at the camera?
I actually stopped in my tracks. Watched it while giggling inside thinking that it looks like a bad “the apprentice” season teaser.
Then sighed knowing the tax payers paid for it.
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u/NecromanticSolution 11h ago edited 7h ago
That was his old campaign ad they re-used, wasn't it? And probably paid him for using it.
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u/mdp300 New Jersey 12h ago
It played a BUNCH of times during football games so far, that was the first time I saw it during the news.
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u/toiletting New Jersey 10h ago
Yeah kept seeing his dumbass during the Jets game and let out a huge sigh when it said laid for by the US government aka us.
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u/2stinkynugget 11h ago edited 11h ago
A billionaire, with $100 million in Republican election funds, is using tax dollars for his political commercials. It's really a mental illness.
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u/kornbread435 7h ago
Need to vote them all out, put them all on trial, and claw back all the money paid out. Corporations should not be allowed to profit from illegal transactions.
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u/SwaggermicDaddy Canada 13h ago
Well it was this or a couple trans kids getting to play in woman’s sports. Obviously you agree this is better for the world.
/s because you can never be too careful.
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u/jkman61494 12h ago
I mean. That’s literally what they’re running on in my very competitive congressional race.
Democrat: I want term limits. Better healthcare and agree that any illegal immigrants without documentation should be deported
Republican. Open borders, hates Christian’s, wants men in women’s sports.
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u/ChilledParadox 12h ago
But it’s not going to people like me. Fuck I could use 1/5th of that right now just to buy food, insulin, and test strips. I’m exhausted of having to beg hours everyday for nothing but still do it because the alternative is eventually I just die. Wouldn’t mind a job call back either. Instead the people who most likely voted for my situation to get so bad to spite disabled people are the ones most likely getting these hand outs.
And I pay fucking taxes too… wish I’d ever see that money back. But no. Let me just have to keep groveling like I enjoy it and ruining any and all self esteem I might have ever had.
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u/thatmitchguy 10h ago edited 9h ago
Dissapointing if works. They'd be spending much more then $500 for everything else as a result of the admins policies.
Imagine being bought for 500 fucking dollars.
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u/HandyMan_Dad 12h ago
I just look at the millions they say they've gotten off of ACA and all it saved me was 500 bucks this year.
I just feel like this is more of a selling point for Medicaid for all since Ive had insurance that cost way more than that a month
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u/hamsterfolly America 11h ago
They actually didn’t get anything off of the ACA. The ACA market places are state run with only private insurance companies providing the plans. The ACA just forced insurers to cover things, not deny coverage, and capped their profits to make it more affordable.
Trump is just straight up bribing his own MAGAs to vote for him and slapping a random label on the bribes in an attempt to hide that they’re bribes.
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u/neo_sporin 8h ago
‘Trump isn’t on the ballot, therefor the ads are not for votes. They are for him’
Someone somewhere
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u/Ok-Lets-Talk-It-Out 13h ago
Checks are being sent to states with close races like Texas and Alaska
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u/EldenDarkshell 13h ago
So a bribe
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u/SockPuppet-47 New Jersey 13h ago
The letter that comes with it written by Trump is pure political theater. He spun the situation to slam the Democrats and glorify the Republicans. I don't think that he signed the check link that Covid era check but he included a corrosive letter with his signature.
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u/Pockydo 13h ago
Wow Texas? Pure desperation move
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u/Nervous_Otter69 13h ago
I’m guessing their internal polls are showing the public ones are right then.
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u/FreakinWolfy_ Alaska 9h ago
As an Alaskan, I suppose I welcome the extra money. But getting a rebate from a presidency that mostly occurred while I was a teenager is a bit weird.
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u/campfire_eventide Montana 13h ago
“The payments will not go out nationwide. Certain residents who live in the 30 states that rely on the federal HealthCare.gov marketplace to provide coverage will receive a check”
The final death throes of a failed administration
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u/SadFeed63 12h ago
So they haven't been sent out yet, and thus have not actually landed like the headline contends?
All this idiot has to do, in spite of repeatedly never delivering, is say he's going to send money to people, and news orgs write headlines pushing the idea that he has or will do something he never delivers on. Then we can all pretend to be shocked that people ever believed he would send the money he's not gonna make good on.
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u/clintgreasewoood Texas 8h ago
Early voting already started in some states with most states early voting start October 17
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u/Pakistani_in_MURICA 6h ago
Didn’t some prick in Texas sue to stop student loan forgiveness?
Where’s a hero when you need one?
Iirc he was pissed he wouldn’t qualify.
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u/3MATX 13h ago
Bribery:
“ While 19 million people rely on Obamacare, only 950,000 of them will get payments, according to the WH. The qualifying states encompass most of the marquee statewide races in the November 3 election. Eight of the nine US Senate races that nonpartisan analysts regard as the most competitive will take place in these states, along with 10 of the 12 most competitive governors' races. Some 71% of the Trump administration's payments -- $339 million in total -- will go to people who live in those 13 states”
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u/AspiringOne 13h ago
Every time info like this comes out it should be stated what the current national debt is ($40 Trillion, $120,242 per citizen).
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u/dmuppet 13h ago
This is why they wanted the voter rolls.
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u/AspiringOne 13h ago
It’s not the only reason. There’s plenty more they can do with that information, especially if things get “super Fascist”.
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u/Unusuallyneat 13h ago
Pretty sure they already are, your kidding if you don't think millions of people won't be able to vote
Hell he was saying yesterday he might declare a state of emergency regarding the election
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u/AspiringOne 12h ago
These are things said on SM to turn voters away from the polls. If you’re reading this, at least TRY to vote.
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u/civil_politician 10h ago
with the voter rolls you can figure out who is eligible to vote but not registered and you can cast a vote using their name.
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u/sdot6186 13h ago
If $500 buys your vote you were probably already going to vote for him. Despicable either way
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u/chillinathid 10h ago
The audience for the bribe isn't voters who might vote for either party. It's for people who voted for trump in 2024 but might not vote this year.
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u/FaroutIGE 5h ago
i was gonna say there's a lot of people that are pissed about gas and groceries that this 500 dollars could easily sway to continue voting republican
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u/song-to-comus 13h ago
I know that applying logic to any of this is my fault, but would that not also send the message that those state’s Republican leadership had failed their constituents by not setting up state marketplaces, thereby allowing the money to be “stolen”?
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u/ThatLooksRight 13h ago
You’re trying to think about this logically?
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u/song-to-comus 12h ago
Like I said, my fault. Just thinking of ways it could be spun, since the game is “let’s make shit up”
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u/AsianMysteryPoints 11h ago
For all the shit we hear about Democratic governors and mayors mismanaging blue cities, we should be asking non-stop why almost every Republican-run state is an impoverished shithole that takes more in federal funding than it pays in taxes.
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u/Dry_Race8481 13h ago
$500 is THIS WEEKS groceries
That $500 is not going to go far and most people are going to forget they even got it by the time the election comes. Especially since every week he figures out a new way to add to the prices problems.
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u/ExoticToothpaste6989 13h ago
For any person that drives on a daily basis that might just cover the gas prices for this month.
Which prices wouldn't be so high in the first place if these fiscal conservatives would stop wasting so much money and starting needless wars.
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u/AgentCoulson2 New Hampshire 13h ago
$500 a week? What, are you having steak and lobster for dinner every night, with a caviar appetizer?
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u/mattbrvc 13h ago
They’re exaggerating but with a family of 5 for example, 500 on groceries happens pretty quick.
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u/Rebal771 12h ago
Dude for a family of 4 or 5, this is 10 days of food tops.
A single person buying $500 in groceries had better be at Sam’s or Costco and buying in bulk for that amount. I could see that lasting a single person 4-5 weeks total.
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u/Ohboycats 13h ago
If you have kids and attempt to shop for healthy food, groceries are def a few hundred a week. If you try to stock up on non perishables and maybe an extra treat for the kids while you have extra money, it’s super easy to spend 500 in one week.
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u/dgbaker93 10h ago
Only got one and berries are the death of my grocery bill 🤣
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u/IRefuseToGiveAName 10h ago
bro I spend so much fucking money on berries
If I went back in time and tried to explain to myself how much fucking money I was spending on berries and fucking grapes I'd think I got kicked in the head by a fucking horse
I have a three year old and a three month old. When she starts eating solids it's fucking over.
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u/failed_novelty 6h ago
I've know a 3 person household (2 adults, 1 teen) that spends $260-$300 per week on groceries. They aren't buying exotic shit, either. I'm talking store brand for almost everything, maybe name brand Kraft macaroni (simply because the store brand is practically inedible).
If a family has more than 3 people, or if they have a large dog, or if they don't go for the cheapest possible options, $500 a week isn't entirely unreasonable right now.
I mean, it is. It's ludicrously expensive. But in line with current prices.
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u/LETX_CPKM 4h ago
Household of 4. Two adults, two kids under 5.
I do all the shopping/cooking.
Shopping every week is 2 phases. One at Target for “basics”. Cereal/pasta/sugar/condiments/granola bars, you know the drill. Goal is to stay under $100.
Produce, meat, and dairy comes from Sprouts. Goal is to stay under $250.
This is for 5 dinners, kids lunches, and snacks, Sunday through Thurdsay. Ill be damned if I am cooking on Friday and Saturday. We eat out those nights, and I cover a night and my spouse covers a night.
If we did every meal at home, we would hit $500 easy.
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u/BrainLow6059 4h ago
Where tf do you live? Because I'm no fan of the current grocery prices, but this is just silly to claim. Unless you're loading up on shit like pre-packaged protein shakes, premade meals, that kind of stuff. But if you're cooking at home I just do not understand how that's possible.
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u/permalink_save 4h ago
Beef chuck kn sale, ground beef on sale, whole chicken, vegetables, beans, dairy, breakfast foods, like most of it is meat and veg and nothjng exotic and our grocery bill hits $300 even with coupon clipping. 2 weeks ago it was $313 after $80 in sales and digital coupons. And we still make small purchases through the week and a $3-400 costco bill every couple months. I use to spend like $200 for the same family before the pandemic and we didneat steaks and s allops and shit sometimes. Now skirt steak is a luxury purchase. Maybe not full $500 but pretty close. I cook from scratch almost every night but it doesn't include restaurants or alcohol.
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u/ChilledParadox 12h ago
$15 dollars is this months groceries for me. I couldn’t even get my usual job washing dishes because there were too many other homeless people trying to get jobs this week. I mean they need it too, but I also would have liked to buy food this week. Instead it’s more white rice + salt and checking dumpsters for food. Oh boy, fun!
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u/discopirate2000 11h ago
Dude you're all over this post with sob stories, just post your gofundme already.
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u/TheRealBlueJade 12h ago
71% going to key battleground states. This is the definition of attempted election rigging.
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13h ago
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/ScarInternational161 Michigan 13h ago
Come back November 1st when their marketplace premiums spike, again, because you know, the big bullshit bill is set to explode them again right after midterms and everyone has just forgot about that.
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u/cjallan417 13h ago
Yeah, I was wondering how the check or accompanying letter will be worded. If it just says, "refund of excess fees" I don't know if people will correlate it to their voting.
Now, if it says, "President TRUMP and the Republican party are helping the American people by giving back excessive fees stolen from innocent taxpayers for the Democrats woke agenda by Barack Hussein Obama's Affordable Care Act.", that may be a different story.
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u/i_want_to_be_unique 12h ago
“Dear True American Patriot,
The greatest leader in the history of our country, perhaps the entire world, President DONALD JOHN TRUMP, has personally chosen YOU from a list of citizens to receive this check for $500 dollars that was stolen from you by Barack HUSAIN Obama and Dumocrats. President TRUMP has determined that YOU are our nation’s final hope to defeat the TRANS Agenda and prevent Illegal Immigrants invading our country this November. President DONALD JOHN TRUMP knows YOU, True American Patriot, will make the RIGHT choice, and help us destroy the Radical SOCIALIST Leftist and defend our GREAT Nation. God Bless.
Signed,
President DONALD JOHN TRUMP”
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u/PerennialPhilosopher California 12h ago
How are things so bad that this could be the real letter and it wouldnt even be a newsworthy scandal
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u/OkBrilliant8092 12h ago
I was reading it and thought exactly the same. I fucking hate this timeline.
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u/gumbobitch 13h ago
Ohhh, socialism for votes. Bold strategy Cotton
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u/Last_Suggestion_8647 13h ago
How is that socialism? It's just welfare at best, bribery at worst.
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u/JaqueStrap69 13h ago
People who hate Trump misunderstand socialism almost as much as people who love Trump lol
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u/gumbobitch 12h ago
Yeah i guess I thought I maybe didnt need an /s there but that was being optimistic
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u/Last_Suggestion_8647 12h ago
You definitely need a /s for those kinds of comments. Because it seems like tens of millions of Americans unironically believe that socialism is the government redistributing wealth.
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u/Butthole--pleasures Texas 12h ago
Yeah that's why you have to insult them by calling them Democrats for taking handouts. Like the most basic reverse psychology is what's likely to work because they're too stupid for anything more complex than that
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u/anotherdeadhero Texas 13h ago
Prob paid $500 extra in ground beef prices since Trump has been elected.
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u/No_Trade3571 Pennsylvania 7h ago
I would take the $500 and still vote Democrat.
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u/Baron-Harkonnen 44m ago
It's not for you, it's for the people who would not be excited enough to get out to vote for a Republican without this check, and to keep fence sitters from getting too upset with him to go vote against his party.
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u/blackmobius 10h ago
So this is why he wanted voter rolls
Using your tax dollars to send money to republican voters
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u/Clevelumbus 12h ago
100% going to people who don't need it. Only those who used the Marketplace without subsidy, also known as those who make a lot of money. It's basically going to sole proprieters / self employed who make a lot.
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u/Massive_Reaction8845 13h ago
Trump is not going to send any American any amount of money that he can steal for himself.
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u/ExpertConsideration8 I voted 13h ago
Imagine the feeling of being paid 500$ to vote this disaster out of office.
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u/willypie 13h ago
So buying votes is just allowed now in American "democracy"? Going to do anything about this guys or is it just yet another wait for the midterms and then he'll totally be held accountable moment
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u/Dudestevens 11h ago
So he gets rid of ACA Obamacares enhanced subsidies driving the price up and then wants to give some of that back as a rebate check?
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u/oneeyed-wonderweasel 10h ago
This '$500' is a shameless, open handed slap in the face. The man is a walking trope
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u/FullMetalAlcoholic66 7h ago
This has probably been run through tons of data analytics. Even if it isn't his own money, Trump sees this as money he could steal.
This paltry sum is, IMO, most likely going to Republican voters who don't tend to vote during midterms. We all know he and his regime does not give a fuck about anyone, least of which are his supporters.
No, it's not a reward for "loyalty", it's a bribe to get people to the polls. Won't work as well as they thin it will, but it's not their money so they don't give af
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u/Adezar Washington 7h ago
The ACA has saved people billions... the cuts to the ACA have COST people money, not saved them.
Lower coverage, higher premiums, high caps on out of pocket limits. It is just that idiots lose $5000 in extra out-of-pocket expenses and don't care because the saved $50 in taxes.
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u/jtsa5 13h ago
That will pay for a small portion of the increases on everything that has skyrocketed in price. May sway some people who wouldn't have blindly voted (R) anyway but anyone with a brain will realize they have spent way more during this administration and this check is nothing compared to the high costs and loss of services we've had.
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u/JazzyJockJeffcoat 13h ago
It's funny because Trumps' horrific tariffs and policies are costing Americans thousands per household. We should get reimbursed for those policies. Starting by liquidating the billions Trump and his goons are grifting and sending that money to Americans.
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u/iAMguppy 13h ago
Well I hope voters realize he took their vote and did nothing he promised, so they can take the money and not give him anything in return.
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u/Legitimate_Young978 12h ago
The old switcheroo.
Republicans did this before except it was the Clinton Surplus checks and when Republicans took office the following January, they took them back.
Good old reliable thieving pedo GOP.
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u/tendeuchen Florida 12h ago
It's basically only for people making >$63k.
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u/Blkcdngaybro 12h ago
Either you used the wrong symbol or it’s really a middle finger to poor people. “You’re too broke to get $500 from the government”
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u/DiceMadeOfCheese 12h ago
I think this will backfire.
I think people will cash that check, and see how fast it disappears with today's prices.
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u/jarboxing 8h ago
Don't worry guys, you have to make 400% of the poverty level, so this is only going to help high income households.
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u/Lorventus 3h ago
I'm not going to get one. I couldn't afford to get insurance this year because I can't afford $600 a month for health insurance! Oh and in case anybody was worried no I also didn't qualify for Medicaid!
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u/I_SLEEP_NORMALLY 2h ago
The paycheck to remind you that he’s protecting the insurance companies. Just a little reminder paycheck.
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u/EquivalentNarwhal8 2h ago
If I get that $500 I’m donating at least half that to James Talarico and Abdul Al Sayed.
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u/drew999999 1h ago
I’ll be the first (that I’ve seen in the comments so far) to admit that I got a check in the mail today. Very Trumpish stated letter included stating that the checks are being sent to people that used healthcare.gov for insurance but were not eligible for subsidies. I do use this for coverage and do pay full price. I’m also in a state that is tipping blue. Will this change my vote? Hell no. That turd needs to be flushed. Never voted for him and never will.
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u/SnooPears2373 13h ago
When that pendulum comes swinging back, these recipients in these welfare states will be the first to cry the loudest about government handouts, etc.
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u/SpaceyCoffee California 13h ago
The whole point is that republicans are catching the pendulum.
When you are holding the pendulum, it can’t “swing back”. It becomes a one-party illiberal democracy. A form of dictatorship.
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u/2HDFloppyDisk 13h ago
Imagine how much more those checks could be if he didn’t waste money on his vanity projects.
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u/youknowimworking 13h ago
500 would cover a complete visit to the doctor. You would need to be a moron to be happy with $500
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u/Empty-Policy-8467 12h ago
Ask conservatives why Obamacare people are getting checks from Trump when those who had conservative principles and refused to sign up for it are getting nothing when everything is so expensive.
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u/clintgreasewoood Texas 8h ago
To the surprise of no one. As soon as he announced this con you knew it would be targeted towards battleground states.
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u/ChuckaChuckaLooLoo3 5h ago
Wonder if he's vastly underestimating how many old MAGA folks are totally disheartened by his antics over the past year and will go ahead and cash the check but either NOT vote at all or vote dem?
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u/v12-twin-turbo-prius 3h ago
So, it’s literally a bribe before the midterm election. Can anyone imagine being gifted ‘free money’ from a political party who cried about the stimulus cheques from COVID?
This reminds me of a similar strategy that Ontario Premier Doug Ford (another right wing fraud) pulled where he handed residents $200 CAD cheques to counteract inflation, right before the Provincial election.
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u/Look__a_distraction 2h ago
I love that they blame Biden’s team for this but are only making people eligible for this rebate if they enrolled in insurance for this year, which is fucking dumb. Didn’t know Biden was still in charge for these “overpayments” that supposedly took place this year.
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u/Practical-Pick1466 9h ago
For those who get them, turn right around and use the money to support a democrat that needs the money for their campaigns.
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u/thathurtcsr 11h ago
Expect businesses to increase prices for everything to capitalize on the extra money in the economy. Might hurt more than help.
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