Trump Downplays Obama's Criticism of Health Care Bill

Says he doesn't think former president is leading the opposition
By Newser Editors,  Newser Staff
Posted Jun 25, 2017 12:20 PM CDT
Trump Criticizes DC's 'Level of Hostility'
President Trump speaks during a rally in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, on June 21.   (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall, file)

President Trump wasn't just a a topic of the Sunday talk shows, he was a participant. In an interview with Fox News' Fox and Friends, the president criticized the "level of hostility" in DC that he blames for a lack of bipartisanship, reports the AP. In doing so, he singled out Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren as a "hopeless case," saying she has a "lot of anger, a lot of hatred." And he got in this dig, per Politico: "I call her Pocahontas, and that’s an insult to Pocahontas." But in terms of the GOP health care plan, he predicted success in coming up with something "that everybody's happy with." He added: "I don't think we're that far off. Famous last words right? I think we're going to get there."

  • On Obama: Asked if he was frustrated that former President Obama was "leading the opposition" on the health care bill, he replied: "I don't see him leading it," per BuzzFeed. And later, he downplayed the president's criticism of the GOP bill. "He actually used my term, mean," Trump said of his predecessor. "I want to see a bill with heart."

  • Democrat criticizes Obama: Sen. Adam Schiff, top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, criticized Obama's handling of Russia hacking. “The administration needed to call out Russia earlier, and needed to act to deter and punish Russia earlier, and I think that was a very serious mistake,” he said on CNN's State of the Union, per Politico. “The Obama administration should have done more when it became clear that not only was Russia intervening, but it was being directed at the highest levels of the Kremlin.” Trump criticized Obama for the same thing, in the wake of a Washington Post report.
  • 50-50: On ABC's This Week, Sen. Chuck Schumer gave Republicans "at best, a 50-50 chance" of passing the health care legislation. And GOP Sen. Susan Collins says she will wait for the CBO's assessment of its impact on Americans before deciding whether she's a yes or no. So far, five Republicans oppose the bill in its current form, three more than Majority Leader Mitch McConnell can afford.
(More President Trump stories.)

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