President Donald Trump took a shot at U.S. Sen. John McCain early Saturday in a series of tweets, saying the Arizona Republican “never had any intention” of voting for the latest GOP health care bill. McCain’s rejection of the Graham-Cassidy proposal effectively ends the party's chances at repealing Obamacare -- for now.
McCain “let Arizona down.,” the president wrote on Twitter.
“I cannot in good conscience vote for the Graham-Cassidy proposal,” McCain said in a statement Friday.
Since the entire Democratic caucus opposes the bill, Republican leaders can afford to lose only two GOP senators on it. McCain’s decision means the bill doesn’t appear to have the votes to pass. Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., has said he opposes the bill, and Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, has said she’s “leaning against it.” Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, who voted against the last repeal bill, is also uncertain about backing the bill.
Trump was campaigning for fellow Republican Luther Strange in Huntsville, Alabama, Friday night. The president was backing Strange in a the state’s GOP primary runoff, and he covered a variety of subjects, including the health care bill and McCain’s opposition to it.
Trump said that McCain’s last senatorial campaign “was all about repeal and replace, repeal and replace.
“So he decided to do something different, and that’s fine,” Trump said.
Trump was less conciliatory Saturday morning, saying that McCain “was sold a bill of goods” by Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.
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