Trump teases 'big surprise' on Senate Obamacare repeal effort

President Donald Trump on Wednesday suggested that “a big surprise” could be coming in the Republican effort to repeal and replace Obamacare, a tease that came hours after the president predicted that Senate Republicans are “going to get at least very close” to passing their stalled health care bill.

“And just to do a little official business, health care is working along very well. We could have a big surprise with a great health care package. So, now they're happy,” Trump said, gesturing to a group of reporters during a meet-and-greet with the visiting World Series champion Chicago Cubs.


“What do you mean by big surprise, sir?” one reporter shouted

“I said you're going to have a great, great surprise. It's going to be great,” Trump said without elaborating further.

Earlier Wednesday, Trump predicted that Senate Republicans are “going to get at least very close” to passing legislation to repeal and replace Obamacare, adding that “I think we're going to get it over the line.”

Trump’s earlier comments, which came during a roundtable discussion on energy with state, local and tribal leaders at the White House, followed a meeting Tuesday afternoon with Republican senators just hours after GOP leadership postponed a vote on its health care measure until after the July 4 recess.

The vote’s postponement came after the legislation failed to gain traction among the Senate GOP rank and file. At least eight Republican senators have expressed opposition to the measure, and, with a 52-seat majority, the party can afford to lose just two GOP votes and still pass the bill.

“The meeting went really well. We're talking about a great, great form of health care,” Trump said in introductory remarks captured by the White House press pool. “We have a plan, that if we get it approved — it's very tough, every state is different, every senator is different. But I have to tell you, the Republican senators had a really impressive meeting yesterday at the White House. We had close to 50 of them. We have 52, we need almost all of them. That's never easy.”

“I think we're going to get at least very close, and I think we're going to get it over the line. There was a great, great feeling in that room yesterday,” he continued.

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The bill, Trump said, would make health care cheaper not only for individuals but also for the country. He said Obamacare is “dying” and has been a “headache for everybody” and a “nightmare for many.” With the Senate’s legislation, the president said, “we get rid of so much … all of the bad parts of Obamacare are gone.”

By postponing the vote, Trump said, Republicans “have given ourselves a little bit more time to make it perfect.”

Asked by a reporter whether he was concerned about the Medicaid cuts in the legislation, Trump said only that “this will be great for everybody.”

