'He's telling us what he cares about more': Senator Chris Van Hollen on President Trump's daycare comments

Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen took a swipe at Donald Trump after the President said that the federal government could not pay for daycare, Medicare, or Medicaid. Trump added that the government needed to focus more on its military operations and put the onus on states to pay for the services. Van Hollen said that the comments revealed how President Trump's priorities were not in support of American citizens. 

"Trump is right, we can either pay for "daycare, Medicaid, Medicare all these things," or we can pay for more war. Every dollar we spend on this illegal war of choice is a dollar that could have helped improve life right here at home. He's telling us what he cares about more," Van Hollen wrote in a post on X, sharing a video of the President making the statement. Van Hollen isn't the only one criticizing Trump for prioritizing war over social security measures. Former US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi also hit out at the President, accusing him of betraying his America First agenda.  "Our country has the ability - what's missing is a President willing to put people first," she said.

Notably, Trump's recent comments about daycare directly contradict his own election promises. Speaking at a media interaction in 2024, he said that the United States had to have child care. "We're going to make this into an incredible country that can afford to take care of its people, and then we will worry about the rest of the world," he had said. 

President Trump has also proposed a whopping $1.5 trillion Defense budget for 2027, prioritizing military spending over domestic programs. Ever since taking office for a second term, Trump has expressed on several occasions that he wishes to cut federal spending on child care, among other social programs. "We can balance the budget. We can have a surplus if you can stop that. And that does not include Medicare, Medicaid—that's even bigger," he had said. He also reportedly asked Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought not to send any money for daycare because, in his view, the country could not afford to take care of it. The Trump administration also announced a freeze on child care subsidies in Democratic states. The matter was taken to court, and the freeze was subsequently blocked. Additionally, Trump's stance has given Republicans a reason to repeal the Child Care and Development Fund, started by former President Joe Biden.