In his State of the Union tackle, President Trump prevented well being matters that he spoke of final 12 months, together with abortion and most cancers. He additionally did not point out his well being secretary RFK Jr.’s priorities.
MARY LOUISE KELLY, HOST:
President Trump has stated he desires to make well being care right into a Republican difficulty. However in final evening’s State of the Union, he skipped lots of the health-related matters that he used to speak about loads. NPR’s Selena Simmons-Duffin watched the speech. She has this report on what was overlooked.
SELENA SIMMONS-DUFFIN, BYLINE: There was truly an individual conspicuously absent from President Trump’s remarks final evening, though he was within the room, Well being Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Final 12 months, Trump spoke about Kennedy’s Make America Wholesome Once more effort at size and his give attention to the causes of autism. Right here Trump is throughout his 2025 joint tackle to Congress.
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PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: And there is no one higher than Bobby and the entire individuals which can be working with you. You have got the most effective to determine what’s going on. OK, Bobby? Good luck. It is a vital job. Thanks.
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SIMMONS-DUFFIN: This 12 months, there was no point out of Kennedy, MAHA, autism or vaccines.
JONATHAN OBERLANDER: I believe that it could sign a pivot away from the high-profile anti-vaccine activism of RFK.
SIMMONS-DUFFIN: That is political scientist Jonathan Oberlander of the College of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Kennedy has moved aggressively prior to now 12 months to upend federal vaccine coverage.
OBERLANDER: Their actions aren’t terribly fashionable with the American public about vaccination. And I believe it is a legal responsibility going into the 2026 midterms.
SIMMONS-DUFFIN: Trump did not even point out Kennedy’s efforts which can be much less politically fraught, together with going after meals dyes and altering the meals pyramid. There was a short part on well being coverage within the speech. Trump talked about efforts on drug costs and insurance coverage insurance policies he’d wish to see Congress decide up. However he was silent on some huge adjustments truly unfolding in well being coverage, with barely any point out of Medicare or Medicaid and no point out of the Obamacare enhanced subsidy struggle that triggered the federal government shutdown in October. This is Dr. Georges Benjamin, CEO of the American Public Well being Affiliation.
GEORGES BENJAMIN: He did not discuss the truth that they reduce, you realize, nearly a trillion {dollars} out of the Medicaid program. He did not speak something about what they’ll do about all of the individuals which can be going to lose protection over the following 12 months or two.
SIMMONS-DUFFIN: Then there’s abortion. Katie Keith, director of the Heart for Well being Regulation and Coverage at Georgetown Regulation, notes that Trump used to speak about abortion restrictions frequently. Final evening…
KATIE KEITH: It did strike me as notable that he did not point out it in any respect.
SIMMONS-DUFFIN: One thing else that wasn’t talked about was scientific analysis, breakthroughs, cures, world-leading science. Once more, this is Oberlander.
OBERLANDER: That is kind of State of the Union bread and butter. Each president can say one thing, that they are dedicated to science.
SIMMONS-DUFFIN: He used to speak about scientific analysis. He introduced most cancers sufferers as visitors for previous addresses to Congress. He even introduced an bold effort to finish the HIV epidemic in a single speech. This previous 12 months, his administration has slashed the federal well being workforce and reduce billions of {dollars} in scientific grants.
OBERLANDER: So I believe that silence in all probability speaks volumes on that as effectively.
SIMMONS-DUFFIN: There have been different well being matters conspicuously absent. Rural well being was not talked about, regardless that the administration is sending billions to states for rural well being to assist offset Medicaid cuts. Measles was not talked about, regardless that there are regarding outbreaks all around the nation, particularly in South Carolina. So regardless of Trump’s objective of creating well being care a Republican difficulty for the midterms, Keith of Georgetown says…
KEITH: It simply was not a well being care speech by any stretch of the creativeness.
SIMMONS-DUFFIN: In response to NPR’s request for touch upon the choice to go away these matters out of the speech, White Home spokesman Kush Desai wrote in an announcement, quote, “delivering on well being care affordability and the broader MAHA agenda had been and stay high priorities for your entire administration,” unquote. Selena Simmons-Duffin, NPR Information, Washington.
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