Michigan Senior Citizens Call Out Trump For Failed Leadership On Coronavirus
Older Michiganders, more vulnerable to COVID - 19, voice frustration with Trump's misguided push to reopen country despite health risks.
As Trump attempts to move the spotlight from his disastrous COVID - 19 response to the economy, voters in the battleground state of Michigan aren't having it — particularly those 65 and up. This week, three seniors from across the state joined Priorities Michigan for a press call to speak out against Trump's push to resume economic activity despite the clear risks to older, more vulnerable Americans.
"As a doctor and a senior, I'm concerned about what this unsafe approach will mean for more vulnerable Michiganders, including cancer patients, those with chronic disease, and me," said Dr. Barbara A. Conley, a 67 - year - old medical oncologist in Northport. "We in northern Michigan have limited access to health care to begin with. With fewer hospitals and care providers than larger urban areas, there's a great risk of our health systems being overwhelmed should the virus begin to spread more quickly here."
A recent Fox News poll finds Trump trailing Joe Biden in Michigan by 8 points overall and 19 points among voters 65 and up.
Recent polling from Morning Consult shows that from mid - March to mid - April, approval of Trump's handling of the outbreak among people 65 and older dropped by 20 points nationally. That same polling showed that people 65 and up say it's more important for the government to address the spread of the coronavirus than to focus on the economy by a 6 - to - 1 margin.
"Trump's ongoing push to reopen the economy without the proper testing and tracing levels we need to do so safely, threatens my life and those of others," said Joan Raeburn, a 67 - year - old registered nurse in Dearborn. "He refuses to listen to the experts, and continues to make decisions and give advice that endangers us and our families."
It's not just their immediate health that Michigan seniors are worried about under Trump's failed leadership, it's also their economic and health care security in such uncertain times. In recent Priorities USA polling, nearly half of respondents 65 and older reported that Trump's proposed cuts to Medicare and Social Security were their top concern about the president among a list of messages about his economic record.
"It's unsettling that even in the midst of this crisis, Trump is seeking to cut Medicare and Social Security, which over 2 million Michiganders like me rely on," said John Hutchinson, an 73 - year - old retired attorney in Coldwater. "We worked hard to fund those programs so we could rely on them later in life. We were promised them. And with the tough times we're facing now, they are more important to many of us than ever before."
Michigan, a key state Trump needs to win to be re - elected in November, is the 12th "oldest" state in the country. Trump's recent efforts to appeal to seniors and declaration of May 2020 as "Older Americans Month would indicate that he's noticed his approach to seniors' health and economic security isn't popular. But if he wants to win, Trump might want to reconsider sacrificing seniors and their essential programs for the sake of a misguided attempt to reopen the economy before it's safe.
Source: Annika Doner
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