WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump sought Saturday to put a good face on his most stinging political setback yet, declaring that Obamacare would collapse and vowing to develop a “great” replacement.
“ObamaCare will explode and we will all get together and piece together a great healthcare plan for THE PEOPLE. Do not worry!” the Republican said on Twitter.
But it was far from clear how soon Trump and fellow Republicans would be willing to wade again into the perilous political minefield of health care reform after failing to repeal Barack Obama’s signature program.
Trump was holding unspecified meetings Saturday at a golf club in Virginia.
Friday’s defeat was more than a small stumble: Trump had thrown his full political weight behind the measure, the first big legislative test of his nascent administration.
The bill’s failure marked a second major policy setback for Trump, after courts froze his efforts to block travelers from several predominantly Muslim countries.
The real estate mogul-turned-politician – who built his candidacy on his skills as a negotiator and deal closer – had very publicly twisted the arms of recalcitrant Republicans to rally votes, extending both carrots and sticks.
But far-right lawmakers of the so-called Freedom Caucus mostly stood their ground, and every Democrat shunned the Republicans’ legislation, forcing the last-minute cancellation of a vote.
That raised questions about how Republican leaders will deal with the stubborn conservative bloc on major issues like tax reform and infrastructure spending, and how well Trump will be able to work with a divided party and a deeply polarized Congress.
It was a sobering lesson for the President on the differences between the top-down operation of a big company and the murky legislative process often compared to sausage-making.
“For Mr. Trump,” said a New York Times editorial, “it is a rather brutal reminder that campaigning is the easy part.” (AFP)
