Republican Senate leaders' plan to repeal Obamacare without an immediate replacement already appears to be dead – the latest blow to Donald Trump's efforts to overturn a pillar of his Democratic predecessor Barack Obama's legacy.

Republican Senators Susan Collins of Maine, Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska immediately declared that they could not vote for a plan that repealed Obamacare, otherwise known as the Affordable Care Act, without having a replacement ready. Their opposition has effectively killed the bill.

With a majority of 52 senators, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell could only afford to lose two 'yea' votes on his latest plan to dismantle Obamacare, which he announced on Monday after efforts to repeal and replace the healthcare law at the same time collapsed.

Around the time the press reported that the repeal-only bill would be dead on arrival, Mr Trump said he was "disappointed", adding that his plan was now "to let Obamacare fail, it will be a lot easier."