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Trump walked out of a press conference after a reporter challenged his repeated false claim that he signed Veterans Choice into law

Trump
Trump

JIM WATSON/AFP via Getty Images

  • Trump walked out of a New Jersey press conference after a reporter told him he was making a false claim.

  • CBS News' Paula Reid challenged Trump's repeated assertion that his administration signed Veterans Choice into law.

  • The health law passed in 2014 during the Obama administration. Trump has falsely claimed that his administration passed Veterans Choice into law over 150 times.

  • Trump ended the press conference after Reid said: "It's a false statement, sir."

  • Watch the exchange below.

  • Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Donald Trump abruptly ended a press conference after a reporter challenged him on his false claim that his administration passed the Veterans Choice healthcare law.

On Saturday, Trump addressed reporters and patrons in the ballroom of the Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, New Jersey, in a wide-ranging press conference that touched upon the US coronavirus response.

Towards the end of his question and answer session with reporters, Trump was challenged by CBS News journalist, Paula Reid, after he repeated his false claim that his administration signed into law the measure expanding health care options for eligible veterans.

Trump told the press conference: "They've been trying to get that passed for decades and decades and decades, and no president's ever been able to do it, and we got it done."

Related:The rise and fall of Donald Trump's $365 million airline

When invited to ask a question, Reid said: "Why do you keep saying that you passed Veterans Choice? It was passed in 2014."

Trump appeared to try to cut her off before she said: "It's a false statement, sir."

Trump replied saying, "okay, thank you very much everybody," and walked away from his lectern, ending the press conference.

Watch Reid challenge Trump over his Veterans Choice claim

The law was signed in 2014 under the Obama administration and received bi-partisan support from Senator Bernie Sanders and former Senator John McCain. Trump has falsely claimed that his administration passed Veterans Choice into law over 150 times, according to CNN.

Trump made several falsehoods during the event, including that his plan to issue an executive order requiring health insurance companies to cover all pre-existing conditions for clients "had never been done before."

Pre-existing conditions are covered under the Affordable Care Act, otherwise known as Obamacare, which Trump has ardently pushed to abolish since he took office.

 

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