Story highlights President Donald Trump is trying to help GOP leaders pass a tax bill

Joe Manchin organized a meeting between Senate Democrats and the President

(CNN) President Donald Trump told a group of Democratic senators Tuesday that he'd be a "big loser" if the Republicans' plan to overhaul the tax system is signed into law, multiple people with direct knowledge of the call told CNN.

Trump, who said he made his assumption based on a conversation with his accountant, also said the GOP's plan to repeal the estate tax was a toss-in because the plan is "just so bad for rich people."

Trump spoke on the phone to the group of Senate Democrats who met with senior White House adviser Gary Cohn and legislative affairs director Marc Short in the Library of Congress, Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown of Ohio told reporters.

The President's phone call was a surprise to Sen. Joe Manchin, who organized the meeting. Trump called in through Cohn's phone, and Cohn put him on speaker. Trump spoke for about 10 minutes during what was the 6 a.m. hour local time in South Korea.

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