"We will always protect patients with pre-existing conditions," Trump said in his speech.

"Really?

How gullible do you think the American people are?" asked Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders, in a televised response to Trump's speech.

Democratic presidential candidates and many lawmakers have proposed healthcare plans that would be run by the government, a sharp departure from the current, private system in which millions of Americans receive medical insurance from their employers.

Trump's lack of a healthcare plan has left him open to criticism that he has not put enough work into finding a way to reduce rising insurance costs that burden middle-class Americans.

"We will never let socialism destroy American healthcare!" Trump said.

Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer said in her televised response: "Democrats are trying to make your healthcare better.

Republicans in Washington are trying to take it away."