President Donald Trump is reacting on Twitter to reports that his health care bill — the Obamacare replacement bill that he made the cornerstone of his campaign — will fail in the Senate, because four Republican senators have now said they will not support Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s bill.
Not surprisingly, he’s blaming Democrats for his party’s failings, and telling Republicans to simply pass a straight repeal bill instead.
We were let down by all of the Democrats and a few Republicans. Most Republicans were loyal, terrific & worked really hard. We will return!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 18, 2017
Republicans should just REPEAL failing ObamaCare now & work on a new Healthcare Plan that will start from a clean slate. Dems will join in!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 18, 2017
But as Vox reporter Jeff Stein reported Tuesday, Trump “has not held a single meeting with Senate Democrats on health care.” Trump also appears to have changed his mind multiple times on what he wanted to do after repealing the Affordable Care Act, going from “repeal and replace” to “just repeal,” mixed with the fallback plan of doing nothing whatsoever and a vague promise of something great coming together further down the road.
As I have always said, let ObamaCare fail and then come together and do a great healthcare plan. Stay tuned!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 18, 2017
That wasn’t what he always said. Last year during the presidential campaign, Trump made a clear promised to replace the ACA. As recently as March of this year, he proclaimed that the health care deal would be an “easy one.”
We will immediately repeal and replace ObamaCare – and nobody can do that like me. We will save $'s and have much better healthcare!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 9, 2016
REPEAL AND REPLACE OBAMACARE!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 26, 2016
For years, even as a "civilian," I listened as Republicans pushed the Repeal and Replace of ObamaCare. Now they finally have their chance!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 9, 2017
And, as NBC News reporter Bradd Jaffy noted, “repeal and replace” was a key aspect of Trump’s stump speeches on the campaign trail.
Trump today: “As I have always said, let ObamaCare fail and then come together and do a great healthcare plan.”
Let's go to the videotape… pic.twitter.com/1JqJH422A4
— Bradd Jaffy (@BraddJaffy) July 18, 2017
Democrats weren’t the only target of Trump’s ire, however. Trump said that “a few Republicans” were responsible for the “let down.” Those Republicans is likely include Sens. Dean Heller of Nevada and Jeff Flake of Arizona, the two most vulnerable GOP incumbents up for re-election in 2018. Last month, a Trump-aligned group, America First Policies, announced it would launch a $1 million TV and radio ad campaign against Heller for his stance against the Senate’s bill. In Arizona, White House officials have reportedly begun looking at conservatives who might be willing to launch a primary campaign against Flake.
This would be a fine opportunity to note that the president said multiple times that fixing health care would be “so easy” while on the campaign trail.
“I have no doubt that that’s going to happen very quickly,” Trump said in May, when the Senate’s first attempt at passing a new health care bill stalled.
