An interesting dust-up happened between the Biden campaign and a Fox News Channel anchor on Tuesday.
John Roberts, co-host of an afternoon show on Fox News Channel, defended himself from an attack by the Biden campaign's rapid response team. It was a thing of beauty.
On Monday's show, Roberts recalled the time when former President Trump put a cap on insulin co-pays at $35. He noted that it is wrong for President Biden to boast about lowering the co-pay to $35 because the previous president already did that.
“I seem to remember that back in May of 2020, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid said that President Trump had signed an executive order to cap the price of insulin for Medicare recipients at 35 bucks. Now, maybe I’m misremembering that, but I think it kind of already happened.”
Roberts is a former White House correspondent. He has a good reputation for his professionalism. He recalled that he was covering the Trump White House when this happened. He covered the Rose Garden event when Trump announced the co-pay cut. He was there.
The Biden campaign didn't like the criticism of The Big Guy so it hit back. It called Roberts' story “a blatant lie.” That was a big mistake. Roberts is a longtime reporter. He came prepared to speak up for himself on Tuesday's show. He devoted a good bit of time to doing so.
— Biden-Harris HQ (@BidenHQ) June 3, 2024Fox host tries to claim Trump, not President Biden, capped insulin at $35/month
FACT CHECK: This is a blatant lie. Trump did not cap insulin costs, President Biden did for seniors through the Inflation Reduction Act. Trump’s Project 2025 wants to repeal it, which would raise… pic.twitter.com/iDrrBKEIhf
Let's hop into the wayback machine and set it for 2020.
Roberts showed his evidence. There was a press release from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. It's a long, detailed press release.
CMS Administrator Seema Verma said, “This market-based solution, in which insulin manufacturers and Part D sponsors compete to provide lower costs and higher quality for patients, will allow seniors to choose a Part D plan that covers their insulin at an average 66 percent lower out-of-pocket cost throughout the year.”
She noted the price cut affects all forms of insulin and works for the 3M diabetics who receive Medicare benefits.
The Part D Senior Savings Model – which was announced on March 11, 2020 – is a voluntary model that tests the impact on insulin access and care by participating Part D enhanced alternative plans offering lower out-of-pocket costs, at a maximum $35 copay for a month’s supply, for a broad range of insulins.
See AlsoSwift Trump verdict has the media considering history's sweep — and the polarizing figure behind itPart D sponsors that participate in the model will offer beneficiaries Part D prescription drug plans that provide supplemental benefits for a broad range of insulins, including both pen and vial dosage forms for rapid-acting, short-acting, intermediate-acting, and long-acting insulins. Participating pharmaceutical manufacturers will continue to pay their current 70 percent discount in the coverage gap for their insulins that are included in the model, and based on the model’s waiver of current regulations, those manufacturer discount payments will be calculated before the application of supplemental benefits under the model – which will reduce the out-of-pocket cost of insulin for Medicare beneficiaries.
Roberts pointed to the Rose Garden ceremony that celebrated the price drop.
There was plenty of press coverage, too.
Professor Jonathan Turley, a Fox News Channel legal analyst, pointed out that Trump went on to sign four executive orders that lowered the price of insulin. Then, when Biden came into office, hereversed Trump's work.
Trump later, in July 2020, signed four executive orders aimed at lowering the cost of insulin. That included Executive Order 13937, which required Federally Qualified Health Centers to pass 340B discounts on to patients. Notably, Biden later reversed Executive Order 13937 before those cost-saving measures could take effect.
A think tank, Rand Corporation, later provided an analysis of Trump's executive orders which was positive.
Well done, John Roberts.
Biden wants to take credit for the price drop in an election year. He slides it into his bragging about the Inflation Reduction Act, which did not reduce inflation. The problem for Team Biden is that this episode is an unforced error. It is entirely of the campaign's making. How could they not know that this claim is a lie?
The one constant with Joe Biden is that he is a serial liar. At this point in his life, he is suffering from dementia. The leader of the free world has dementia. Let that sink in. Not only does it pose a national security risk for our country, it means that Biden is not aware of reality, at least at times.
Does Joe Biden remember he reversed Trump's executive order? More cynically, did he deliberately reverse the executive order in order to turn around and bring it back to take credit for a price reduction? Either way, this is not good.
Joe Biden came into office and immediately set about proving he is not Trump. He reversed many policies on his first day in office to prove that. There is no greater proof of this folly than what Biden did to the southern border. Biden reversed Trump's policies and agreements that secured the border during the Trump years. Biden's border crisis is deliberate.
Biden's ego will not allow him to step aside for the sake of our country. His staff and the re-election campaign cover for him. There has been no correction issued or an apology offered to John Roberts for calling him a liar. Don't hold your breath. They have too much at stake to do the right thing.
Team Biden will continue to make ridiculous statements. They will continue to say how vigorous Biden is and that he is sharp as a tack. The White House spox ditz claims that she and the staff can't keep up with him because his energy level is so high. You can't make this stuff up, but they do.
John Roberts devoted four minutes to correctly telling the story. I remember thinking on Monday when I heard Roberts say it was Trump who reduced the price of insulin co-pays that finally someone in the media was telling the real story. I remember when Trump did it in 2020. It was a big story. Good for John Roberts for setting the record straight.
