Michigan Senator-elect Abdul El-Sayed has found a new way to sell Medicare for All to Donald Trump: gold, and the president’s own name.
On Thursday, El-Sayed posted images of a mock gold “TrumpCare” card bearing Trump’s signature, with a direct message to the president: “Donald, this is on the table. Guarantee healthcare for every American, from cradle to grave.”
What the card promises
The back of the mock card reads: “Show this card at any doctor, hospital clinic, or pharmacy in the United States. You pay no premiums, no deductibles, no copays for covered care.”
The design is no accident. As Newsweek and Mediaite noted, it closely resembles the Trump Gold Card, the administration’s visa program for wealthy foreigners that costs at least $1 million. HuffPost summed it up: El-Sayed is tempting the president with two things he usually can’t resist, gold and his own name.
“I’m absolutely serious”
The card is the latest step in a pitch El-Sayed has been making since the midterms. On Nov. 6 he told Zeteo’s Mehdi Hasan that if Trump “wants to pass Trumpcare-for-All, I’m ok with it. He seems to like to put his name on things.”
Then on Tuesday, he turned to the camera on CNN’s The Source and spoke straight to the president: “Donald, if you’re watching, we can put your name on it. I know you like to put your name on stuff. You can finally meet the unmet promise in America to guarantee everybody health care.”
When anchor Kaitlan Collins asked whether he was being serious or funny, El-Sayed didn’t blink. “No, I’m absolutely serious,” he said. “I don’t care what it’s called. I want people to have healthcare in this country.”
He described the goal as cradle-to-grave coverage with no copays, premiums or deductibles, and no risk of medical debt. “I bet if the president came out and said, you know, I’m gonna sign this if you call it Trumpcare-for-All, I think we might be able to do it,” he told CNN.
“I dare Donald Trump to veto”
El-Sayed isn’t only appealing to Trump’s ego. In an interview with NPR, he said the Senate should pass the bill even if the president ultimately vetoes it. “I dare Donald Trump to veto,” he said. “I dare him, because if you want to make the argument that Democrats want to deliver for you, do that. Make him veto it.”
Not everyone thinks the gambit will work. Spectrum News pointed out that Trump has previously backed efforts to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, and it’s unclear whether he has responded to the offer. For now, “TrumpCare” remains an idea, not an official proposal.
Who is Abdul El-Sayed?
A physician and the son of Egyptian immigrants, El-Sayed ran Detroit’s health department before entering politics. Universal health care has anchored his politics since his 2018 run for Michigan governor. On Nov. 3 he defeated Republican former Rep. Mike Rogers, and in January he will replace retiring Sen. Gary Peters, becoming the first Muslim to serve in the U.S. Senate.
His push comes as Bernie Sanders urges Democrats to start by lowering the Medicare eligibility age from 65 to 55, which Sanders says could pass the Senate with 51 votes through budget reconciliation. The Medicare for All Act and its House companion, sponsored by Reps. Pramila Jayapal and Debbie Dingell, have never received a floor vote.
Whether Trump bites or not, El-Sayed has made one thing clear: the name on the card matters a lot less to him than whether every American can carry one.