Donald Trump challenged excessive air traffic controls, blamed the response to poor economic indicators and admitted danger on Fox News Monday night.
Speaking with Laura Ingraham, the president shared his thoughts on a wide range of topics from housing mortgages to foreign policy, interspersed with insults flung at his political opponents that were teed up by Ingraham’s questions, including Gavin Newsom, the California governor and Chuck Schumer, the Senate minority leader.
During the conversation, which began as the Senate voted on the longest government shutdown in US history, the President also discussed his vision for addressing health care subsidies.
Democrats are pushing for an expansion of tax credits that make affordable ACCH ACT healthcare premiums more affordable for millions of Americans, which are set to expire at the end of the year. Republicans have condemned the credits, saying they only enrich advocates.
“I want the money to go into an account for people where they buy their own health insurance,” he told Ingraham, proposing a strategy called “Trump Care”. “They feel like entrepreneurs. They can actually go out and negotiate their own insurance.”
Ingraham also asked Trump about his social media post that railed against air traffic controllers in recent weeks over flight delays and concerns.
The Federal Aviation Administration has already seized on a lack of air traffic controls at the start of the shutdown. But as salaries stagnated, the crisis worsened. There are many working up to 10-hour days, six days a week without payaccording to the National Air Traffic Controller Association, and still struggle to make basic needs. Some reportedly had to take a second job to make ends meet.
Meanwhile, thousands of flights have been canceled at the country’s worst-hit airports.
“Life is not easy for anybody,” Trump said during the interview. “Our country has never been better. We shouldn’t have people leaving their jobs.”
Trump also stood by the claim in his post, that he would send a $10,000 bonus for anyone working throughout the shutdown. Pressed on where the funds came from, he replied, “I always get the money from somewhere.”