Trump pretends to honor women's health while trying to destroy it

Trump has attacked women’s health care at every turn.

He’s sought to repeal and sabotage the Affordable Care Act, which prohibits insurance companies from charging women higher premiums and requires both contraception and maternity coverage.

He’s strengthened the so-called “conscience clause” that would allow doctors to refuse medical treatments to women if they cite religious objections.

He’s tried to implement a “gag rule” on doctors by preventing them from informing women of all their medical options surrounding pregnancies.

And he’s spouted dangerous lies about abortion and “infanticide” that endanger women and their doctors.

Yet on Monday, Trump issued a “message” in which he said, in honor of National Women’s Health Week, that he wants to strive to “promote and support the health and well-being of our Nation’s mothers, daughters, sisters, wives, and friends.”

“We also recommit to ensuring that women have access to the best health information, care, and treatment,” Trump said in the proclamation. “With comprehensive healthcare services and support, women will continue strengthening our country.”

Of course, none of what the Trump administration has done on health care matches up with that goal.

Gagging doctors from informing women of all of their options when it comes to pregnancy is not the “ensuring that women have access to the best health information.”

Repealing the landmark health care law that ended the practice of women being charged more for insurance premiums simply because of their gender is not ensuring women have the best health care access.

Allowing doctors to refuse treatment to patients for religious reasons is not making sure that women get the best health care treatment.

In his message, Trump wrote, “my Administration reaffirms our commitment to help improve women’s health so that they may live fuller, healthier lives.”

That statement couldn’t be further from the truth.

Treating women as second-class citizens and punishing them for their private health care decisions is not even remotely close to allowing women to “live fuller, healthier lives.”

Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.