Pete Buttigieg Slams Trump’s ‘Bad Deal’ On Health Insurance, Cites CBO Estimate Of 10% Premium Hikes: ‘Losing On The Economy’

Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg on Monday night framed President Donald Trump’s attacks on air traffic controllers as a deliberate distraction from the administration’s “failure on everyday life costs,” specifically what Buttigieg called a “bad deal” on health insurance.
Buttigieg Calls Out Rising Health Insurance Costs
In a series of posts on X, Buttigieg highlighted the economic pressure facing Americans. “Everyday life – making it better and more affordable – must always be our bottom line,” he wrote. “Any deal that fails to address this directly is a bad deal.”
His comments target Republican-backed policy changes to the Affordable Care Act (ACA), which are projected by the Congressional Budget Office to increase health insurance premiums by up to 10% in 2026. The policy involves redirecting ACA subsidies, a move Buttigieg warned would lead to skyrocketing bills for Americans who are “dreading the bad news.”
See Also: ‘Zero Confidence’: Experts Warn It’s Too Late To Implement GOP’s Proposed ACA Changes
Trump Threatens Air Traffic Controllers Amid Shutdown Chaos
Buttigieg directly linked this to the president’s social media post just hours earlier, which threatened to “dock” the pay of air traffic controllers who don’t work amid a prolonged government shutdown.
“Why is Trump going after America’s air traffic controllers, today of all days?” Buttigieg asked in a video. “It’s one more way to distract from his decision to increase your health insurance premiums.”
Buttigieg argued the president “totally failed on his promise to make everyday life more affordable” and is “losing on the economy” as a result. “The American people can see how he’s failing,” he said, “and people feel it every time they open an insurance bill, every time they go grocery shopping.”
Health Insurers In Focus On Rising Premiums
The feud comes as the shutdown has extended over 40 days, compounding an existing air traffic control shortage and causing mass flight cancellations.
Simultaneously, the ACA open enrollment period is underway, with experts warning it is “too late” to implement the proposed subsidy changes without causing significant disruption and consumer confusion.
Here’s a list of a few health insurance stocks to consider on rising insurance costs.
The futures of the S&P 500, Nasdaq 100, and Dow Jones indices were mixed on Tuesday after settling higher on Monday.
Read Next:
‘Not Having Health Insurance Is An Emergency’: Suze Orman Urges Americans To Budget Now As ACA Subsidies Expire And Premiums Skyrocket
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
Photo courtesy: IAB Studio on Shutterstock.com