Trump press conference on medical bills devolves into call for John Kerry to be prosecuted
President Trump stepped before reporters on Thursday to speak about ending surprise medical bills — and before long was calling for the prosecution of former Secretary of State John Kerry.
Trump delivered remarks from the White House as part of a new push to "hold insurance companies and hospitals totally accountable" for surprise medical billing, but he took questions on a variety of topics, including Iran. In response to one question, Trump called out Kerry and claimed he is in violation of the Logan Act, which prevents unauthorized people from negotiating with foreign governments the U.S. has a dispute with.
Kerry, Trump claimed, speaks to Iran "a lot" and tells them "not to call" the White House.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
"Frankly, he should be prosecuted on that, but my people don't want to do anything," Trump said. "Only the Democrats want to do that kind of stuff."
Trump had previously criticized Kerry after he said in September that he met with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif "three or four times" since he left office, The Washington Post reports. A spokesperson for Kerry on Thursday said that "everything President Trump said today is simply wrong, end of story," per CNN's Jim Acosta. "He's wrong about the facts, wrong about the law, and sadly he's been wrong about how to use diplomacy to keep America safe." Brendan Morrow
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.
-
Bari Weiss’ ‘60 Minutes’ scandal is about more than one reportIN THE SPOTLIGHT By blocking an approved segment on a controversial prison holding US deportees in El Salvador, the editor-in-chief of CBS News has become the main story
-
CBS pulls ‘60 Minutes’ report on Trump deporteesSpeed Read An investigation into the deportations of Venezuelan migrants to El Salvador’s notorious prison was scrapped
-
Trump administration posts sliver of Epstein filesSpeed Read Many of the Justice Department documents were heavily redacted, though new photos of both Donald Trump and Bill Clinton emerged
-
Trump HHS moves to end care for trans youthSpeed Read The administration is making sweeping proposals that would eliminate gender-affirming care for Americans under age 18
-
Jack Smith tells House of ‘proof’ of Trump’s crimesSpeed Read President Donald Trump ‘engaged in a criminal scheme to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election,’ hoarded classified documents and ‘repeatedly tried to obstruct justice’
-
House GOP revolt forces vote on ACA subsidiesSpeed Read The new health care bill would lower some costs but not extend expiring Affordable Care Act subsidies
-
Hegseth rejects release of full boat strike footageSpeed Read There are calls to release video of the military killing two survivors of a Sept. 2 missile strike on an alleged drug trafficking boat
-
Trump vows naval blockade of most Venezuelan oilSpeed Read The announcement further escalates pressure on President Nicolás Maduro


