Trump: I never said repeal and replace would come in 64 days

President Donald Trump signaled Friday that his failed effort to repeal and replace Obamacare won’t be his last try.

“I guess I’m here what, 64 days? I never said repeal and replace Obamacare — you’ve all heard my speeches — I never said repeal it and replace it within 64 days,” Trump told reporters shortly after House Republican leaders pulled their bill to do just that. “I have a long time.”


Trump’s rhetoric Friday appeared to show the evolution from a blustering presidential candidate with no political experience to a commander in chief who saw firsthand how difficult governing in Washington can be — even as a Republican with GOP majorities in the House and Senate.

And while he does have time — he’s only been in office for two months of his four-year term — it’s not true that Trump never said he would repeal and replace Obamacare in the early days of his administration.

Indeed, the then-GOP presidential nominee declared a week before Election Day that he would ask Congress to hold a “special session” to “immediately repeal and replace Obamacare,” which he vowed to do “very, very quickly.” Repealing and replacing Obamacare was also listed as part of Trump’s 100-day plan.

But Trump and GOP leaders failed to do so, and it’s unlikely that they’ll ever accomplish that feat in the president’s first 100 days. They’ve already highlighted tax reform as their next legislative goal, and Congress will recess for two weeks in April.

House Republican leaders pulled their legislation to repeal and replace Obamacare from a scheduled floor vote on Friday, failing to make good on a years-long promise while also dealing a devastating blow to Republicans’ legislative agenda.

Despite opposition from enough Republicans to sink the proposal, Trump had demanded a Friday vote, and the White House projected confidence that the measure would clear the chamber — until it was ultimately pulled.

Flanked by Vice President Mike Pence and Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price inside the Oval Office, Trump thanked them and the Republican Party — although opposition from moderates and conservatives ultimately led to the bill’s demise, which he attributed to Democrats, who unanimously opposed repealing Obamacare from the start.

“We were very close, and it was a very, very tight margin,” Trump said. “We had no Democrat support. We had no votes from the Democrats. They weren’t gonna give us a single vote so it’s a very difficult thing to do.”

Trump suggested that Republicans were likely 10 to 15 votes short of passing their American Health Care Act and expressed disappointment having lost a bill that was “within grasp.”

“A lot of people don’t realize how good our bill was because they were viewing phase one,” Trump said, noting that “it became a great bill” when factoring in all three phases — one on the regulatory side from HHS and the other through legislation that would require 60 votes in the Senate.

Nevertheless, the president had a rosy, optimistic view for Round 2, whenever that may come.

“Perhaps the best thing that could happen is exactly what happened today because we’ll end up with a truly great health care bill in the future after this mess known as Obamacare explodes,” Trump said. “We all learned a lot. We learned a lot about loyalty. We learned a lot about the vote-getting process. We learned a lot about some very arcane rules in obviously both the Senate and in the House. Certainly for me it’s been a very interesting experience. But in the end, I think it’s gonna be an experience that leads to an even better health care plan.”

Trump hinted that the next crack at health care reform will be a reversal from Republicans’ failed endeavor. Critics of GOP leaders said their effort was rushed; Trump has acknowledged that he has plenty of time. Republicans expected to pass the legislation without any Democratic support; now Trump suspects Democrats will try to work across the aisle (although he sent mixed signals about his willingness to work with them).

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“I think the losers are Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer because now they own Obamacare,” Trump said of the Democratic leaders in the House and Senate, respectively, immediately after remarking that he’d “be totally open to” working with the opposition party. “They own it — 100 percent own it. And this is not a Republican health care. This is not anything but a Democrat health care, and they have Obamacare for a little while longer until it ceases to exist, which it will at some point in the near future.”

“And just remember: This is not our bill. This is their bill,” he continued. “Now, when they all become civilized and get together and try and work out a great health care bill for the people of this country, we’re open to it. We’re totally open to it.”

Yet asked if he would talk to Democrats now that Republicans are moving on, Trump said no.

“I think we have to let Obamacare go its way for a little while, and we’ll see how things go. I’d love to see it do well, but it can’t. I mean, it can’t,” Trump said. “It’s not a question of, ‘Gee, I hope it does well.’ I would love it to do well. I want great health care for the people of this nation, but it can’t do well. It’s imploding and soon will explode, and it’s not gonna be pretty. So the Democrats don’t wanna see that so they’re gonna reach out when they’re ready. And whenever they’re ready, we’re ready.”