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Trump Blasts Obamacare In Waterloo

Pat Blank/IPR

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump filled an iconic Waterloo ballroom with more than 12 hundred supporters. The crowd at the Electric Park Ballroom repeatedly chanted "USA" and "Trump, Trump, Trump".  The GOP front runner got some of the loudest applause when he talked about repealing the Affordable Care Act, or "Obamacare".

"You see your premiums are going up 25 or 35 percent, right?" he asked, "Right? One person was on the other day 51 percent, some your deductibles are so high you’re going to be dead before you get them paid, the deductibles are so high that you don’t even have insurance if you think about it."

Trump did not mention the Trans Pacific Partnership deal, but he says under a Trump administration, a group of his friends and businesses partners would negotiate US trade deals, not a bunch of what he calls "political hacks".

Near the end of the speech, Trump announced he’s penned a new book.  He says its title reflects the poor condition of the country.

"We’re gonna call it 'Crippled America', he said. "It’s gonna come out in three or  four weeks. I’m so proud of it, I worked very hard with everything else I’m writing books and frankly I think the title is amazing."

Trump's speech was briefly disrupted by climate change activists.  He urged the crowd to be "nonviolent" and after the protesters were escorted out, he thanked the crowd for its conduct.

Pat Blank is the host of All Things Considered