Trump calls Democrats 'radical socialists,' slams Medicare-for-all in new op-ed

Just a few weeks ahead of the midterms, President Trump is now hammering Democrats as "radical socialists."

In an op-ed published Wednesday in USA Today, the president specifically criticizes "Medicare-for-all," the idea of having one government-funded health insurance program that's available to all Americans, as Medicare is currently available to seniors. Some Democrats propose Medicare-for-all as a way to ensure universal coverage and improve benefits for seniors.

Trump claims that in practice, though, this idea would actually be "Medicare for None" because it would "inevitably lead to the massive rationing of health care" and would mean seniors would lose access to the doctors they want. There are several Medicare-for-all proposals out there, some of which would not eliminate private insurance.

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The president in this op-ed also claims that the "centrist Democratic Party is dead" and the party now consists of "radical socialists" who want to "model America's economy after Venezuela." This is part of a continued push to "paint Democratic candidates as extreme" ahead of the midterms, The Associated Press reports.

Read Trump's full op-ed at USA Today.