Trump tells conservative leaders he will blame Dems if healthcare plan fails: report

by Rebecca Savransky - 03/09/17 7:17 AM ET

President Trump reportedly said if the House GOP’s plan to repeal and replace ObamaCare fails to pass, he’ll let existing healthcare law fail and will blame the Democrats.

The president made the comments during a meeting including leaders of some conservative groups opposed to the House GOP’s plan, CNN reported.

The president criticized the groups — which included representatives from Club for Growth, the Heritage Foundation, Americans for Prosperity, FreedomWorks and the Tea Party Patriots — for referring to the plan as “ObamaCare lite.”

Trump cautioned that they were “helping the other side” with such remarks.

{mosads}”This is going to be great. You’re going to make it even greater,” he told the group, according to sources at the meeting.

“I’m going to work hard to get it done.”

The meeting was also attended by chief strategist Stephen Bannon, White House chief of staff Reince Priebus and Trump’s top aide, Kellyanne Conway.

Trump during the meeting also talked about his plan to ensure the legislation, called the American Health Care Act, passes the Senate.

“Trump said he will have football stadium events in states where he won by 10 to 12 points and he is going to dare people to vote against him,” a source at the meeting said.

Trump also expressed confidence that Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) would support the plan, calling his onetime rival for the GOP presidential nomination a “friend.”

“I love him. He’s a friend. He’s going to end up voting for it,” Trump allegedly said.

A White House official at the meeting said the discussion was a “legit policy meeting.”

“The president expressed that he was open to things that could improve the bill, but was also clear that this is the vehicle — this is the chance to repeal and replace.”

Republicans on Monday rolled out two new bills to repeal and replace ObamaCare.

The new legislation would undo ObamaCare’s Medicaid expansion and eliminate the individual mandate that requires individuals to purchase health coverage or pay a fine. The plan would also create a new tax credit system to incentivize individuals to purchase coverage.

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