'Furious' public pushback forced Trump to walk back bid to stiff vets: Rachel Maddow

[cbabe]

https://www.rawstory.com/trump-va-care/

'Furious' public pushback forced Trump to walk back bid to stiff vets: Rachel Maddow

Matthew Chapman
January 23, 2025 9:59PM ET

President Donald Trump was forced to back down from one of his most unpopular policies this week, MSNBC's Rachel Maddow said Thursday night: an underhanded move to sabotage health care at the Veterans Administration.

"U.S. veterans, including the founder of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, Paul Rieckhoff, started reporting publicly on what appears to be Trump's new hiring freeze at the V.A.," said Maddow.

…
"This is throwing a massive hand grenade into the largest healthcare system in America that serves millions of vets," he continued. "It’s already hurting morale and retention — and will impact recruiting at V.A. forever. It’s reckless and stupid. And intentional."

The good news, Maddow added, is that "turns out sounding the alarm and pushing back sometimes stops them from doing some of the worst things they want to do today."

"After the outcry from veterans and members of Congress, including Republicans, V.A. backtracked on this," said Maddow. "They decided after it was a full freeze from the beginning, they decided instead now they'll exempt about 300,000 health care specific jobs from this freeze. And that, apparently, is something they had not intended to do until they got a furious and very public pushback against what they had otherwise tried to get away with. A salutary moment. Stick a pin in that."

… more …

[gab13by13]

1. Back Down or Water down?

[MadameButterfly]

2. yeah but how about the NIH, SNAP, everywhere we look

the are shutting things down. Is this temporary or permanent? This will crash the economy, besides people' s jobs and recipients of the important work they do. Because, tax cuts? And his general ignorance of the value of what anyone else does? Or because he jusst doesns't care?

[Old Crank]

13. NIH

Doesn't have the same constituency that knows about what they do.
They may be more important in the long run but...
Now watch the brain drain from there and universities.

[MadameButterfly]

15. project 2025 was talking about shutting down universities

and using campuses for real estate development. This might be an intended consequence of ruining research labs.
And the careers of our best and brightest.

i have a childhood friend who made a scientific discovery in immunology ranked in the top 10 this century. Fortunately it's late in his career and he could just retire. But if Trump had come along sooner, it would have never happened.

Imagine the ones that won't happen now.

[Old Crank]

16. They should start with the Ivy's

And vacated every degree issued by them.

[MadameButterfly]

17. Will Vance try to protect his alma mater?

lots of ivy Leaguers in the ranks of white male Republican power.

i think they'll leave the ivy's alone and go for the rest.

[tikka]

3. Well that whiny dipshit's wife in Texas can get her VA job now

[CrispyQ]

4. And carry on how muchTrump really cares for them.

[LeftInTX]

7. They always get their way. Leopards don't eat MAGATs faces

[ailsagirl]

5. He's certifiable

He's testing the boundaries-- I hope people will continue to thwart his sickening attempts to harm others. If he backs down (if true), maybe we're onto something.

Does he even have an Achillis Heel?
🤬😖🤯

[HappyLarge]

6. They only reinstated the direct patient care positions.

They aren’t changing the memo about hiring any clerks, groundskeepers, cleaners, maintenance, IT or HR.

[ancianita]

9. Likely only in states that voted for the boss.

[BoRaGard]

21. Yes - an important catch, HappyGrande!

corporate media will probably blow right past this critical detail...

[Jit423]

8. Now maybe more people will pay attention to what Trump is doing and how it is hurting them?

You know, someone can say i am going to punch you in the face but it doesn't matter until they do it.

[Nasruddin]

12. Nah, since I'm good

Pull up the ladder behind me

[Puppyjive]

10. The whole country will be crying

Social security employees are at their breaking point. Congress was warned. The republicans are to blame for all of it. You can't cut your workforce in half and expect the same level of service.

[UTUSN]

11. Knr

[alfredo]

14. They don't think things through.

I guess they are evil and stupid.

[GoodRaisin]

18. Pretty dangerous when you consider they've got foreign policy too.

[maxrandb]

19. This is the fucking problem

"Oh, don't worry vets, we're only screwing over other 'Murikans"

"Oh, don't worry farmers, we're only screwing over other Murikans"

"Oh, don't worry red states, we're only screwing over blue states."

Oh, don't worry christiians, we're only screwing over other religions"

The Retrumplicans have an iron grip on the "FUCK you, I got mine" demographic. That demo will never learn until they themselves touch the hot stove.

[BoRaGard]

20. The G.O.P. and Felon will just wait for a better moment

to screw over America's veterans.

When the G.O.P. draft dodger called our troops "suckers and losers" he was not being flip. I think at core he hates them because they have the courage, honor, and actual patriotism to serve America. All he has is his stinking fake bone spurs, and a treasure chest full of his "used condom medal" collection, from back in the Vietnam era.