Trump claims Roger Marshall was ‘mandated by law’ to sue his patients over unpaid medical bills
WASHINGTON, DC: President Donald Trump is pulling every lever to keep Republicans in power in the 2026 midterms, even if defending his party’s candidates means making claims that raise eyebrows and invite scrutiny.
The 80-year-old president recently came to the defence of Sen Roger Marshall (R-Kan) amid criticism over his history of suing patients, claiming the senator was “mandated by law” to pursue legal action.
Kansas has elected Republicans to the US Senate for years, but things appear to be getting tougher for Marshall as he continues to face a challenging race, partly due to Trump’s poor polling numbers and problems of his own making.
The controversy gained traction after The New York Times published an extensive review of Marshall’s 25-year career as an obstetrician-gynecologist, reporting that he had sued more than 700 patients over unpaid medical bills, with 81 subsequently arrested.
Trump defends Roger Marshall over patient lawsuits
As Marshall’s Democratic opponent continues to use the controversy to attack him in campaign ads, Trump traveled to Wichita on Monday, October 19, to rally in support of the Republican incumbent.
“He was given a bum wrap, because he was mandated by law to request, strongly, money owed from patients. You’re not allowed not to do it. You have to, by law, go after those people. And they made it like, “Oh, he was some kind of a Shylock-type guy.”
“Shylock” is a Jewish character in William Shakespeare’s play 'The Merchant of Venice,' often associated with usury. The Anti-Defamation League, in a guide for educators teaching the play, says, “Shylock, and by extension, all Jews, are presented as money-hungry, conniving, and cruel.”
Trump claimed that Marshall would have violated a strict criminal law if he had not pursued the requests for payment, potentially exposing himself to arrest and criminal liability.
He argued that Marshall had left the matter to a law firm, which was likely compelled to take a tough approach under the law. Trump also said the senator had been unfairly portrayed and “got screwed” over the controversy.
“A judge ordered a patient’s arrest for not showing up to court. Many, many times a patient just refused, on a routine court case to settle it up. And the judge was very tough. And that’s the way it is. It’s the judge. He didn’t make, he didn’t do it,” Trump continued.
Trump: Roger Marshall was mandated by law to request money owed from patients. You have to by law go after those people, and they made it like he was some kind of a Shylock type guy, I don’t know if I should be saying it. https://t.co/P8k8S27JU4
— Acyn (@Acyn) October 20, 2026
It is worth noting that no federal or state law requires doctors to sue patients over unpaid medical bills. Nor is there any such law requiring debt collectors to request arrest warrants from judges for defendants who fail to appear in court.
Trump threatens media over Roger Marshall coverage
During the rally, Trump focused on the revelations in his speech, telling the crowd, “That man did nothing wrong. I just want to set the record straight.”
“That should not happen to a good person, and fake ads like that shouldn’t be allowed. Ohh, I’d love to sue the media. I would love to sue. [audible groan] Sullivan, we, Sullivan v Sullivan.”
“Oh, ho, ho. I’d like to have them change that. They would have, then they’d really be finished. They’re doing very badly now, but they’d really be finished. No, they pick up anything they can,” he continued.
Trump’s reference to “Sullivan v Sullivan” appeared to conflate two separate matters: Alaska’s Senate race, which features two candidates named Dan Sullivan, and the landmark 1964 Supreme Court ruling in New York Times Co v Sullivan.
The ruling established that public officials must prove a statement was published with “actual malice”, meaning the publisher knew it was false or acted with reckless disregard for its truth, to prevail in a defamation lawsuit.
