Trump pushes state-run daycare funding, says US can’t manage it federally: ‘We’re fighting wars’

WASHINGTON, DC: President Donald Trump argued that “we can’t take care of daycare” because the United States is a “big country” currently “fighting wars” during an Easter lunch at the White House on Wednesday, April 1.

Trump called for an end to federal spending on childcare and social programs, suggesting these responsibilities be shifted entirely to individual states to eliminate what he described as massive fraud.

Trump calls for states to lead on daycare and healthcare

During his remarks, President Trump argued that the responsibility for social services like daycare, Medicare, and Medicaid should fall entirely on individual states. 

He explained that the federal government's role should be narrowed to national security.

“The United States can't take care of daycare. That has to be up to a state. We can't take care of daycare. We're a big country. We have 50 states. We have all these other people. We're fighting wars. We can't take care of daycare,” President Trump said. 

He suggested that states should instead raise their own taxes to cover these costs, adding that the federal government could potentially lower federal taxes to help balance the shift.

“It's not possible for us to take care of daycare, Medicaid, Medicare, all these individual things. They can do it on a state basis. You can't do it on a federal. We have to take care of one thing, military protection,” he added. 

Trump targets mismanagement to balance the national budget

In addition to policy shifts, Trump alleged that current federal spending on childcare and disability services is rife with "pure theft."

He specifically targeted spending in Minnesota, claiming that many registered daycare centers do not actually exist.

"Of the 700 that they looked at approximately in Minnesota, there were not one that was a daycare center. It's homes where they send checks for thousands of dollars," he stated.

Trump further questioned the rise in funding for autism under the current administration as a means to argue for budget cuts.

"Four years ago, Biden's first term, it was less than $1 million was sent out for autism. Uh, this last year, it was over $400 million. So, what happened? I said, 'Was there an attack of autism?' They went from a million dollars to 400 plus. And it's pure it's pure theft," Trump said.

He concluded that by eliminating these federal programs and addressing fraud, the government could finally balance the national budget.