President Trump Falsely Claims GOP Senator Must Sue Patients Over Medical Debt
At a Kansas rally, President Trump wrongly stated Sen. Roger Marshall was legally required to sue patients over unpaid bills.
NASA/Bill Ingalls/NASA
President Donald Trump made a false claim during a Kansas rally Monday, asserting that GOP Sen. Roger Marshall, a doctor, was legally obligated to sue patients for unpaid medical bills. Trump insisted Marshall was unfairly criticized for this practice, which experts and news sources have disputed.
Trump’s Defense of Senator Marshall
Speaking at the rally, President Trump said, “He was given a bum rap, 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.’” Trump further claimed, “And if he didn’t make these requests, he would be breaking the law. He would have been breaking a very strong criminal law, and he would be subject to criminal arrest and liability.” Trump concluded his defense by stating, “That man did nothing wrong.”
Background on Marshall’s Controversy
Senator Roger Marshall’s reelection campaign has been challenged after a New York Times report revealed he sued more than 700 patients during his time as an OB-GYN. The report also noted dozens of those patients were arrested after missing court dates. Experts have described such aggressive actions as unusual within medical billing practices.
Fact-Checking Trump’s Legal Claims
The Kansas City Star and The Hill have both pushed back against President Trump’s assertions. The Kansas City Star stated, “No federal or state law requires doctors to sue patients over unpaid medical debt.” Additionally, The Hill countered the claim that debt collectors must seek arrest warrants for defendants who fail to appear in court, calling this idea false. These sources directly refute Trump’s statement that Marshall was mandated by law to pursue lawsuits and that failure to do so would result in criminal charges.
Controversy Over Language Used
President Trump’s characterization of Senator Marshall as being portrayed as a “Shylock type guy” has drawn criticism. “Shylock” is a reference to the Jewish moneylender and antagonist in Shakespeare’s “The Merchant of Venice,” a term now recognized as an antisemitic slur. This was not the first time the president used this term in a political context, further fueling the controversy surrounding his remarks.
Senator Marshall remains in a tight race for reelection against Democrat Adam Hamilton, who leads in many polls. The debate over Marshall’s past medical billing practices and Trump’s defense continue to be focal points in the campaign discourse.
As this story develops, independent fact-checking and political analysis will remain crucial to understanding the true legal obligations of medical professionals and the implications for electoral politics in Kansas.
