White House chief of staff Reince Priebus used a football metaphor to tout President Trump's victory Thursday on an ObamaCare repeal bill.

"It's a great first step,” Priebus told The Hill moments after the House approved its repeal-and-replace legislation. “The president stepped up and helped punch the ball into the end zone. We are lucky to have President Trump in charge."

Priebus and Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price watched the vote from just off the House floor.

ADVERTISEMENT

"I feel great,” Priebus added he exited the cloakroom on the way back to the White House, where GOP members will hold a press conference with President Trump in the Rose Garden.

The narrow 217-213 vote on the ObamaCare repeal and replace plan is a victory for GOP leaders, who faced a tumultuous path to getting the bill to the floor.

The narrow 217-213 vote on the plan is a victory for GOP leaders, who faced a tumultuous path to getting the bill to the floor.

The measure had to be pulled in March because of a lack of votes, but a series of subsequent deals brought on board the conservative Freedom Caucus and some wavering moderates.

Twenty Republicans voted against the bill, most of them centrists representing swing districts that Democrats are targeting in 2018.

Correction 4:40 p.m. An earlier version of this post misquoted Priebus.