TRUMP REPLAYS GREATEST TWITS
ObamaCare is “imploding,” the Russian collusion probe is a “witch hunt,” China is doing “NOTHING” on North Korea, and fake “geniuses” are stealing credit for his “election success.”
President Trump trotted out some of his favorite complaints in a daylong tweet-fest on Saturday, the most startling of which hinted that he may end a key ObamaCare subsidy that helps poorer Americans.
In what would turn out to be a baker’s dozen of tweets, Trump warmed up at 7 a.m. by retweeting a “Fox & Friends” tweet — and claiming it shows that Russia actually wanted him to the 2016 election.
The Fox tweet had read: “Firm behind anti-Trump dossier also worked for Russia, Senate witness says.”
Trump responded by tweeting this leap of logic: “In other words, Russia was against Trump in the 2016 Election - and why not, I want strong military & low oil prices. Witch Hunt!”
For the rest of the morning, he focused on health care and the ineffectiveness of the Senate’s narrow GOP majority.
He blamed, as he did a day earlier, the Senate filibuster, which requires 60 votes to pass most laws.
Trump has repeatedly said in recent weeks that he wants to eliminate the filibuster to allow any law he supports to be approved by a 51-vote simple majority. Republicans hold 52 seats in the current Senate.
“Republican Senate must get rid of 60 vote NOW!” he tweeted. “It is killing the R Party, allows 8 Dems to control country. 200 Bills sit in Senate. A JOKE!”
He later added: “Republicans in the Senate will NEVER win if they don’t go to a 51 vote majority NOW. They look like fools and are just wasting time.”
Trump then opined that “great” GOP bills, like “Kate’s Law” — which harshens penalties for convicted and deported criminals who illegally re-enter the country — will stay stalled if the party doesn’t make the change. “Get smart!” he urged. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has refused Trump’s requests to tinker with traditional Senate procedure.
Trump himself appears to have done a 180 on the filibuster — which he praised in a 2013 tweet as a tradition dating back to the Founding Fathers.
At the time, Senate Democrats had sidestepped the filibuster to make it easier to approve President Obama’s judicial appointees.
“Thomas Jefferson wrote the Senate filibuster rule. Harry Reid & Obama killed it yesterday. Rule was in effect for over 200 years,” Trump had lamented in 2013 after Senate Democrats sidestepped the filibuster to push through a controversial rules change, known as the “nuclear option,” to make it easier to approve Obama appointees.
After venting on the filibuster Saturday, Trump toggled over to another of his favorites — “imploding” ObamaCare.
“After seven years of ‘talking’ Repeal & Replace, the people of our great country are still being forced to live with imploding ObamaCare!” Trump tweeted Saturday morning.
He then threatened to halt federal payments that subsidize people’s insurance plans on the individual markets.
“If a new HealthCare Bill is not approved quickly, BAILOUTS for Insurance Companies and BAILOUTS for Members of Congress will end very soon!”
Republicans’ efforts to scrap parts of the Obama-era Affordable Care Act fell apart early Friday in a series of votes that culminated in just 49 GOP votes for the so-called “skinny repeal,” which would have ended the requirement for all Americans to have health insurance or pay a penalty.
The tally was one shy of the 50 votes that would have been needed for Vice President Mike Pence to break a tie.
By nightfall, Trump was blaming Beijing for failing to keep North Korea’s nuclear ambitions in tow.
“I am very disappointed in China,” Trump tweeted at 7:30 p.m. “Our foolish past leaders have allowed them to make hundreds of dollars a year in trade, yet . . .”
Seven minutes later he continued: “. . . they do NOTHING for us with North Korea, just talk. We will no longer allow this to continue. China could easily solve this problem!”
The president was also apparently irked, again, over not getting enough credit for winning the election.
“I love reading about all of the ‘geniuses’ who were so instrumental in my election success. Problem is, most don’t exist. #Fake News! MAGA”