Skip to main content

The context you need, when you need it

When news breaks, you need to understand what actually matters — and what to do about it. At Vox, our mission to help you make sense of the world has never been more vital. But we can’t do it on our own.

We rely on readers like you to fund our journalism. Will you support our work and become a Vox Member today?

Join now

Maybe Republican voters don’t hate universal health care after all?

On Groundhog Day, House Republicans voted to repeal part of Obamacare for the 63rd time.

A few days later, New Hampshire Republicans voted for Donald Trump, who once wrote, “The Canadian plan also helps Canadians live longer and healthier than America. … We need, as a nation, to reexamine the single-payer plan, as many individual states are doing.”

The runner-up in the Republican primary, Ohio Gov. John Kasich, accepted Obamacare’s Medicaid expansion, and when challenged on it said, “When you die and get to the meeting with St. Peter, he’s probably not going to ask you much about what you did about keeping government small. But he is going to ask you what you did for the poor. You better have a good answer.”

For years now, the one thing everyone has known about the Republican Party is that they hate government-sponsored health insurance. Tonight, a former single-payer (and HillaryCare!) supporter won the New Hampshire primary, and the runner-up was the guy who said you won’t get into heaven if you don’t expand Medicaid.

Fun primary the Republicans are having. Maybe the GOP would be in better shape if its elected officials had spent the past few years figuring out how to expand health insurance coverage in America rather than take it away.

Politics
A Trump judge’s new decision would undo more than 50 years of voting rights lawA Trump judge’s new decision would undo more than 50 years of voting rights law
Politics

Trump Judge Lee Rudofsky’s decision could completely neutralize the Voting Rights Act when the GOP controls the White House.

By Ian Millhiser
Politics
President Trump is considering pardoning himself. I asked 15 experts if that’s legal.President Trump is considering pardoning himself. I asked 15 experts if that’s legal.
Politics

Is a self-pardon constitutional? The answer is strangely murky.

By Sean Illing
Politics
Sexual assault allegations against Donald Trump: more women come forwardSexual assault allegations against Donald Trump: more women come forward
Explainers
Trump’s long history of racism, from the 1970s to 2020Trump’s long history of racism, from the 1970s to 2020
Explainers

Trump has repeatedly claimed he’s “the least racist person.” His history suggests otherwise.

By German Lopez
Politics
New Hampshire shouldn’t be the first primaryNew Hampshire shouldn’t be the first primary
Politics

Take it from me, a New Hampshirite: The current system is horrendously unfair.

By Dylan Matthews
Politics
New Hampshire primary 2016: updates and resultsNew Hampshire primary 2016: updates and results
Politics

The New Hampshire primary kicks off on Tuesday, February 9. Polls will close for nearly all of the state at 7 pm Eastern, while some additional polling places will close at 8 pm Eastern.

By Vox Staff