The consequences of Trump ending Obamacare subsidies

Yes, this is a "holy shit" moment.  I have written about this kind of thing before.  Ben Bradlee, former Editor of the Washington Post used to say that he wanted people to open up the paper every morning and say, "holy shit!"  My grad school advisor, Nelson Polsby, used to say that journalists would then call up professors and ask, "holy shit, right Prof?  Holy shit?!"  Nelson would say that it was our job to say, "no, not holy shit.  This is normal and blah, blah blah."

Nope.  This is another "holy shit" moment.  Trump is ending the cost-sharing subsidies in the health insurance markets, via executive order.  Why?  Some combination of lashing out, and the hope that by causing destruction in the health insurance industry, he will get the Senate to pass something... anything that could be called a "repeal-and-replace" bill.

Trump has been threatening to do this as a way to pressure Congress to act.  This was a hostage he was threatening.  Trump is shooting the hostage.  The President is shooting the hostage.  He is cutting off health insurance subsidies.  People will lose health insurance because the market destabilizes, and he is doing this as a negotiating tactic.  The President of the United States is taking an action, the purpose of which is to cut off health insurance for an unknown number of people, intentionally destabilizing the health insurance industry, as a negotiating tactic.

Holy shit.

Will this work?

Here's what we know about politics.  When bad shit happens, the President takes the blame.  In this case, it will be right for him to take the blame because this is intentional destruction.  If this actually does destabilize the health insurance industry-- which is highly likely-- Trump just weakened his own hand.

Holy shit.

I'll have more to say over the weekend.  For now... holy shit.

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