On Your World, Fox News’ supposed business show, Fox News contributor Dr. Ben Carson described the Affordable Care Act (“ObamaCare”) as “the most massive tax increase in the history of America, probably the history of the world, and it’s all being done under the covers.” The only problem? It’s not true. But host Neil Cavuto did not correct the falsehood. In fact, he seemed to approve of it.
As FactCheck.org, PolitiFact and others have written, this is a right-wing talking point that is simply not true. According to FactCheck, if you look at tax hikes since 1968 in constant dollars, the ACA ranks 4th behind 1968 (3rd), 1993 (2nd), and 1982, the largest, when Republican Ronald Reagan, the hero of the right, was President. As for tax hikes as a percentage of GDP, the ACA ranks 7th behind 1968 (1st), 1982 (2nd), 1993 (3rd), 1990 (4th), 1980 (5th), and 1984, (Reagan again) was 6th. Dr. Carson isn’t telling the correct story.
But Cavuto – who should know the truth about this – did not challenge Carson.
Instead, Carson went on to fear monger about the ACA as something anti-American.
What do (Americans) want for their children and their grandchildren? Are they gonna hand over a country that is in decline, that is taken over by the government? Are they gonna hand their freedoms over, are they gonna forget about the fighting that our grandparents did, that the patriots did in order to provide freedom? I hope not.
Over the top? Not to Cavuto. He closed the segment the Cavuto stamp of approval: “Very good stuff. Ben Carson, Happy New Year. Thank you my friend.”