Lying about his ties to the Muslim Brotherhood wasn't the only whopper Abdul El-Sayed told during his interview with Kristen Welker on Meet the Press. He played the same card former President Barack Obama played during Obamcare, telling voters if they like their private insurance plan, they can keep it.
Yeah, and we were told we could keep our doctors, too.
For years, El-Sayed said ending private health insurance was part of his Medicare for All plan. In the last couple of weeks, however, he's said his plan would not outlaw or end private health insurance.
But pay attention to the language El-Sayed uses in this clip, and see if you can spot how he's moving the goalposts yet again.
— Western Lensman (@WesternLensman) October 11, 2026El-Sayed asked about his Medicare For All plan.
Welker points out Obama's "you can keep your doctor" lie and asks El-Sayed about his "you can keep your current insurance" claim.
El-Sayed: "Yes, that health care plan has to decide that they're going to continue to keep those… pic.twitter.com/xtnlfJqqAx
"Under your vision of Medicare for All, can people keep their healthcare plan if they like their healthcare plan?" Welker asked.
"Yes. That healthcare plan has to decide that they're going to continue to keep those people," El-Sayed said. "And right now what's happening is these healthcare plans are getting so expensive that they're knocking people out. So that's a choice for those corporations to have to make. But we can guarantee health insurance to everybody," he said.
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We added the emphasis to point out a few things. First, health insurance plans are expensive because Obamacare came in and a) mandated coverages, b) mandated insurance cover treatment for the uninsured, and c) subsidized plans.
Much in the same way that college tuition costs skyrocketed after the government got involved with student loans, the subsidies are driving the increased costs.
Second, El-Sayed specifically emphasizes health insurance for everybody. Not healthcare. Those are two fundamentally different things.
The game here could not be clearer: El-Sayed's plan would make it impossible for people to afford private insurance, so they'd be forced onto the government-run Medicare for All scheme.
Welker continued, "But you're saying that under your vision of Medicare for All, it's possible some health insurance companies may decide it's too expensive to continue Medicare?"
"Well, I don't get to decide what a corporation does and their CEO does," El-Sayed replied.
He's also setting the stage to blame the companies, and not the government, when you lose private health insurance.
— Matt Whitlock (@MattWhitlock) October 11, 2026Abdul tacitly admitting his Medicare for All plan will cancel your current plans – DEEPLY unpopular among union workers who fought hard for their current plans.
Abdul-Care: doubling your taxes to cancel a plan you like, forcing you to sit on waitlists for lower-quality care. https://t.co/yn5bYgFE0F
The private health insurance industry, by the way, employs a lot of people. If you include third-party administrators, pharmacy benefit managers, independent brokers, and agent networks, that's one to 1.5 million people.
Under El-Sayed's plan, they're all either on the unemployment line — or worse, all become bureaucrats.
Either way, El-Sayed is lying. He wants to end private insurance. He wants government to control when and how you get healthcare, and if you happen to be part of a group with "social power and privilege," as he said of women with breast cancer, odds are you'll be denied care so that there's equity.
Editor’s Note: The 2026 Midterms will determine the fate of President Trump’s America First agenda. Republicans must maintain control of both chambers of Congress.
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