*Updated

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump told CNN’s Anderson Cooper he likes the mandate established by President Barack Obama’s Affordable Care Act that everyone must have insurance or pay a fine.

Cooper asked Trump during a town hall forum on Thursday night “If Obamacare is repealed and there’s no mandate for everybody to have insurance, what’s to — why would [an] insurance company … insure somebody who has a pre-existing condition?”

[dcquiz] Trump responded, “Well, I like the mandate. OK. So here’s where I’m a little bit different. I don’t want people dying on the streets, and I say this all the time. And I say this — look, I did five speeches, maybe six speeches today. We had a lot of rallies. We had of thousands and thousands of people. I mean, we get big crowds.”

Trump added, “Every time I talk about this I get standing ovations. The Republican people, they’re wonderful people. They don’t want people dying on the streets. Sometimes they’ll say Donald Trump wants single payer because there’s a group of people — as good as these plans are and by the way your insurance will go way down, you’ll have better plans, you’ll get your own doctor, which Obama lied.”

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The New York billionaire also said that people with pre-existing conditions would still be able to get insurance under his plan and that Obama lied “28 times” that patients could keep their original plan and their doctor under the ACA.

“If that were in the private sector you’d be sued for fraud, OK? He lied to get the plan through, and it’s turned out to be a disaster,” Trump said. “Obamacare is dead. It’s going to be repealed, it’s going to be replaced.”

*Trump tweeted out clarifications of his remarks on the Obamacare mandate late Friday afternoon.

I was asked about healthcare by Anderson Cooper & have been consistent- I will repeal all of #ObamaCare, including the mandate, period. — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 19, 2016

I was referring to a backstop for pre-existing conditions. I will eliminate the law, in its entirety, & replace it w/ something much better. — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 19, 2016

I will replace it with private plans, health savings accounts, & allow purchasing across state lines. Maximum choice & freedom for consumer. — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 19, 2016

I’m self-funding and I am going to take care of the people – not the special interests and insurance companies like the other candidates. — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 19, 2016

Remember, Cruz and Bush gave us Roberts who upheld #ObamaCare twice! I am the only one who will #MAKEAMERICAGREATAGAIN! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 19, 2016

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