Maine Gov. Paul LePage (R), a longtime ally of President Trump, on Tuesday criticized Trump's proposal to let the Affordable Care Act "explode" before striking a bipartisan deal on healthcare reform.

"Oh yeah, yeah, so let's keep hurting the American people," LePage said on WVOM Maine radio in an interview first reported by CNN.

"That's about as sensible as 'go jump off a bridge.' That makes no sense. You're telling people, 'Let it fail so American people get hurt more, and when they get hurt more, maybe we'll do something.' "

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In the wake of the GOP healthcare bill's defeat Friday, Trump said he was shelving his push to repeal and replace ObamaCare and predicted Democrats would work with him after the current health law collapses.

Speaker Paul Ryan Paul Davis RyanKenosha will be a good bellwether in 2020 At indoor rally, Pence says election runs through Wisconsin Juan Williams: Breaking down the debates MORE (R-Wis.) pulled the plug on the GOP's plan, the American Health Care Act, ahead of a vote on the House floor Friday amid dwindling Republican support for the bill.

LePage slammed GOP lawmakers' refusal to back the measure, saying it is a sign that the federal government is broken and that healthcare reform would likely have to be undertaken by state governments instead.

He also expressed extreme disappointment in members of his own party, particularly the House Freedom Caucus, the group of ultraconservative lawmakers who widely opposed the AHCA.

"To have the Freedom Caucus sit on the sidelines and let the Democrats win — shame on them," he said. "I honestly hope every single one gets defeated next year."