Republican leader and President Donald Trump is not exactly a policy wonk. He’s not exactly a brilliant politician, either. He’s just an average, run of the mill con artist who was lucky enough to be born into a lot of money.
This was evident yet again this Friday morning when in the wake of the first real evidence of collusion bomb that dropped Thursday evening, Trump woke up this morning with the brilliant idea of just repealing Obamacare instead of replacing it.
If Republican Senators are unable to pass what they are working on now, they should immediately REPEAL, and then REPLACE at a later date!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 30, 2017
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Yes, what could go wrong! Oh, wait. Well, okay so that would kill the Medicaid expansion which would hurt those Republican governors and vulnerable Republicans from poorer red states, and then there’s that pesky but not often considered in the Republican world problem of many people dying.
So, that would be a political loss and a loss of life. Naturally, Senator Paul Rand wants credit for this idea:
I have spoken to @realDonaldTrump & Senate leadership about this and agree. Let's keep our word to repeal then work on replacing right away.
— Senator Rand Paul (@RandPaul) June 30, 2017
Here’s Paul in January, back before Republicans had admitted to themselves that Donald Trump was indeed the screaming failure he is:
I just spoke to @realDonaldTrump and he fully supports my plan to replace Obamacare the same day we repeal it. The time to act is now.
— Senator Rand Paul (@RandPaul) January 7, 2017
Donald Trump promised to repeal and replace “immediately.” Republicans have been promising to repeal and replace for eight years.
Why don’t they have a replace plan?
Republicans have been waving empty paper around for years, claiming it was their replacement plan. But they do not have a replacement plan. That was all a ruse. A piece of cheap showmanship, on par with their leader, Donald Trump.
There is no Republican replacement plan.
Here’s Trump promising to repeal and replace immediately with “such better healthcare!”
We will immediately repeal and replace ObamaCare – and nobody can do that like me. We will save $'s and have much better healthcare!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 9, 2016
On his campaign website March 2016 (via Washington Post): “On day one of the Trump Administration, we will ask Congress to immediately deliver a full repeal of Obamacare.”
The people are not crying out for “relief” from Obamacare, contrary to the Republican talking points.
The days before Obamacare were bleak days for anyone who owned their own business, was an independent contractor, had a pre-esixting condition or any medical problem that might cost a few dollars, or had insurance through an employer and needed to actually use it for a medical problem.
Not to mention the fact that the ACA Medicaid expansion gave millions coverage.
Topher Spiro warns people not to fall for this distraction:
Don't be distracted by Trump, Sasse, and Paul. They haven't yet moved on to Plan B. They're still *dangerously* close to passing Plan A.
— Topher Spiro (@TopherSpiro) June 30, 2017
Have your pick of “issues” with President Trump’s morning tweet: It’s bad bad for people’s lives, it’s bad political strategy, and it might not even be true.
The only thing to take away from this is that people need to raise their voices even louder over the recess, because Republicans are now threatening to fall for even more of their own distorted press.
Repeal and don’t replace? Republicans are like drunken frat boys at the wheel of their daddy’s sports car, and the country is in the back seat – not strapped in – as Republicans gleefully egg one another on to play chicken with an oncoming semi trailer. Only they won’t be hurt in the collision, because they’re all strapped in and surrounded by taxpayer funded airbags.
The only people who will be hurt, and possibly killed, are the innocent victims in the back seat.
Listen to Sarah on the PoliticusUSA Pod on The Daily newsletter podcast here.
Sarah has been credentialed to cover President Barack Obama, then VP Joe Biden, 2016 Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, and exclusively interviewed Speaker Nancy Pelosi multiple times and exclusively covered her first home appearance after the first impeachment of then President Donald Trump.
Sarah is two-time Telly award winning video producer and a member of the Society of Professional Journalists.
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