GOP Strategist: Donald Trump Health Care Flip 'Immoral,' 'Wrong' | The Last Word

DISTURBING, IS NOT OUR TOP STORY TONIGHT.
THE TOP STORY ROUNDING OUT THIS WEEK IS THE STORY THAT IMPACTS
MORE AMERICANS' LIVES THAN ANYTHING THE PRESIDENT'S BEEN
TWEETING. IT'S THE STORY OF THE DEMISE OF
THIS CONGRESS'S CURRENT PLAN TO REPEAL OBAMACARE, AND IT'S
IMPORTANT WHETHER THE PRESI PRE WANTS TO TALK ABOUT IT OR NOT.
CONSIDER THAT JUST AT THIS HOUR, SAY, LAST WEEK, MAJORITY LEADER
MITCH McCONNELL WAS PLEDGING IN PUBLIC TO HOLD A VOTE BY THIS
WEEK ON HEALTH CARE. AS YOU KNOW, THAT VOTE HASN'T
OCCURRED. AND AFTER THE CONGRESS'S OWN
NUMBER CRUNCHERS FOUND THE NEW REPLACEMENT BILL COULD DENY OVER
20 MILLION PEOPLE THEIR CURRENT ACCESS TO HEALTH COVERAGE, WELL,
TRUMP ISSUED A BRAND-NEW IDEA. REPEAL OBAMACARE WITHOUT
REPLACEMENT. HE DID IT ON TWITTER.
HE SAYS IF REPUBLICAN SENATORS ARE UNABLE TO PASS WHAT THEY'RE
WORKING ON NOW, THEY SHOULD IMMEDIATELY REPEAL AND THEN
REPLACE AT A LATER DATE. NOW, THAT SHOULD BE THE HEADLINE
WE ARE TALKING ABOUT AS "THE WASHINGTON POST" GRAEG SAUER
GENT AS REPORTED, TRUMP'S PLAN WOULD BE TANTAMOUNT TO TAKING
AWAY HEALTH INSURANCE FOR A FULL 32 MILLION PEOPLE WITH NO
IMMEDIATE BACKUP OR CONSIDERATION PLAN WHATSOEVER.
REPEALING OBAMACARE WITHOUT A REPLACEMENT WOULD BE A DRAMATIC
DEPARTURE FROM WHAT TRUMP PROMISED VOTERS WHEN THEY
ELECTED HIM. >> AND THERE'S GOING TO BE A
PERIOD IF YOU REPEAL IT AND BEFORE Y YOU REPLACE IT WHEN
MILLIONS PEOPLE -- >> WE'RE GOING TO DO IT
SIMULTANEOUSLY. IT WILL BE JUST FINE.
THAT'S WHAT I DO. I KNOW HOW TO DO THIS STUFF.
>> SIMULTANEOUSLY WOULD BE KEY WORD NUMBER ONE, AND THE SECOND
IDEA THERE IS HE KNOWS HOW TO DO STUFF.
WELL, STUFF IN CONGRESS IS SUBJECT TO PARLIAMENTARY RULES.
MANY PEOPLE INTERPRET THOSE RULES AS BARRING ANY FLAT REPEAL
OF OBAMACARE BY MAJORITY VOTE, THE TYPE OF VOTE THAT WOULD BE
AVAILABLE FOR STRICTLY BUDGETARY CHANGES.
SENATOR BEN SASSE, WHO ALSO WANTS TO SORT OF SPLIT THE BILL,
AGREES YOU CAN'T CAN'T EVEN DO THE PRESIDENT IS NOW SUGGESTING.
>> I'M STILL ON BOARD WITH LEADER McCONNELL'S ATTEMPT TO
TRY TO DO THIS AS A COMBINATION PACKAGE REPEAL AND REPLACE AT
ONCE. BUT IF THE LEADER CAN'T GET THAT
ACCOMPLISHED IN THE NEXT TEN DAYS, THEN I THINK WE SHOULD DO
STAND-ALONE REPEAL, BUT NOT EFFECTIVE FOR A YEAR.
THEN WE SHOULD GET TO WORK ROUND THE CLOCK ON A REPLACE PLAN.
>> ACCORDING TO REPORTING BY AXIOS, THE PRESIDENT'S SUDDEN
POLICY CHANGE GOT A PRETTY MEDIOCRE RECEPTION FROM
REPUBLICAN AIDES ON THE HILL. ONE SAYING REPEAL AND REPLACE
WAS, QUOTE, NOT GOING TO HAPPEN THIS WAY.
ANOTHER SAID THEID THE CHANCES S WORKING WERE ZERO.
SO BETWEEN YESTERDAY'S RELATIVELY UNPRESIDENTIAL
DISPLAY ACCORDING TO EVEN MANY PEOPLE IN HIS OWN PARTY, AND NOW
ON POLICY, THIS COMPLETE REVERSAL OF ONE OF THE TRUMP
ADMINISTRATION'S LARGEST LEGISLATIVE PROMISES, MANY ARE
WONDERING WHAT IS THE PRESIDENT'S CAPACITY TO LEAD ON
POLICY OR ON THE BROADER QUESTIONS OF WHAT KIND OF
CONVERSATION WE WANT TO HAVE IN AMERICA.
AND HOW CAN YOU LEAD A GROUP WHEN THEY KEEP INSISTING YOU
DON'T SPEAK FOR THEM? JOINING ME NOW ISS JOAN WALSH,
EVAN SIGFRIED, AND SHANNON PETTYPIECE, WHITE HOUSE
CORRESPONDENT FOR BLOOMBERG. JOAN, STARTING WITH YOU, A LOT
OF NOISE. MUCH OF IT WORTH DISCUSSING.
>> RIGHT. >> BUT THE BIG DEVELOPMENT ON
HEALTH CARE IS THAT THE WIZARD, THE GURU, MITCH McCONNELL, DID
NOT REACH HIS SELF-IMPOSED POLICY OBJECTIVE THIS WEEK.
>> RIGHT. BUT I MEAN TRUMP IS SUCH A
GREMLIN IN THIS WHOLE THING. HE'S WORSE THAN A GREMLIN.
THAT'S ACTUALLY A NICE WORD FOR HIM.
BUT HE'S THE ONE WHO RIGHT BEFORE THE INAUGURATION MADE --
HE SAID IT ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL, ARI, BUT WE DIDN'T REALLY
KNOW WHAT HE MEANT. HE WASN'T SERIOUS THROUGHOUT
MUCH OF THE CAMPAIGN. BUT HE REALLY MADE A BIG PUSH A
FEW WEEKS BEFORE THE INAUGURATION TO SAY HE WAS
HERE -- YOU KNOW, PEOPLE WERE TALKING ABOUT REPEAL AND DELAY.
THAT WAS THE WAY THEY WERE GOING TO FOOL US.
THERE WERE OBSTACLES TO IT. IT WASN'T NECESSARILY GOING TO
HAPPEN, BUT HE MADE A BIG STINK ABOUT WE CAN'T DO THAT, AND HE
WAS KIND OF RIGHT. IT WOULD BE POLITICALLY A
NIGHTMARE. BUT HE WAS THE ONE WHO REALLY
PUSHED THEM TO DO IT AT THE SAME TIME.
HE OBVIOUSLY DIDN'T KNOW HOW COMPLICATED THAT WAS.
THAT'S TO PUT IT MILDLY. SO HE'S GONE FROM BEING THE ONE
WHO SAID, YOU CAN'T DO THIS. I'M BECOMING PRESIDENT.
NO WAY. TO NOW BEING THE ONE SAYING,
YEAH, YOU BETTER DO IT IF YOU CAN'T DO THEM BOTH.
IT'S GOT TO BE DRIVING MITCH McCONNELL CRAZY.
HE DESERVES IT, BUT IT'S JUST GOT TO BE HORRIBLE.
>> EVAN, I WONDER WHETHER WE'RE LEARNING MORE ABOUT THE POLITICS
OF HEALTH CARE IN THE REPUBLICAN PARTY.
THERE'S A NARRATIVE THAT EVERY SINGLE REPUBLICAN IS FOR REPEAL
NO MATTER WHAT, AND THAT'S THE END OF THE STORY.
THAT DOESN'T SEEM TO BE THE CASE.
LISTEN HERE, SENATOR BILL CASSIE HOLDING A TOWN HALL TODAY.
THIS IS LOUISIANA, WEIGHING IN ON ALL OF THIS.
>> VOTE AGAINST THAT HIDEOUS BILL.
[ APPLAUSE ] >> WHAT YOU NEED TO DO IS A
LOUISIANAN IS GO BACK TO WASHINGTON, D.C. AND STAND UP
FOR THE PEOPLE WHO ARE HERE, SAYING WE NEED OUR HEALTH CARE.
[ APPLAUSE ] >> THIS IS OUR DEMOCRACY IN
ACTION. THANK YOU ALL FOR CONTRIBUTING
TO THAT DEMOCRACY. THANK YOU.
>> VOTE NO! VOTE NO!
>> THE SAYING IS THIS IS WHAT DEMOCRACY LOOKS LIKE.
IS IT AS SIMPLE AS ALL REPUBLICANS LOVE REPEAL?
>> FIRST OF ALL, I THINK IT'S GOOD THAT BILL CASSIDY IS HAVING
A TOWN HALL UNLIKE OTHER REPUBLICANS.
IT WAS SENATOR CASSIDY WHO CAME OUT LAST MONTH AND SAID WHATEVER
BILL THE SENATE PUTS FORWARD NEEDS TO PASS THE JIMMY KIMMEL
TEST IN THAT IT CAN'T BE AN IMMORAL AND UNCOMPASSIONATE
BILL, WHICH THE BCRA ABSOLUTELY IS.
I THINK THAT SENATOR CASSIDY HAS RECOGNIZED THAT AND SAID IT
DOESN'T PASS THE JIMMY KIMMEL TEST.
IN TERMS OF REPEAL, WE'RE RECOGNIZING A LOT PRIVATELYVATE
WITHIN THE REPUBLICAN PARTY. THE REALITY IS IT'S GOING TO BE
REPAIR. ONLY 17% OF AMERICANS THINK THE
GOP SHOULD GO IT ALONE ON HEALTH CARE.
65% BELIEVE THEY SHOULD FORGE A BIPARTISAN COMPROMISE.
AND WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT DOING A REPEAL AND THEN NO EVEN
REPLACEMENT SIMULTANEOUSLY, THAT'S CREATING THE EQUIVALENT
OF A FISCAL CLIFF BUT FOR HEALTH CARE WHERES AS GREG SARGENT
SAID, 32 MILLION PEOPLE COULD LOSE THEIR HEALTH CARE AND HAVE
NOTHING. >> DID MITCH McCONNELL FAIL, OR
IS THAT JUST WHAT HE WANTS US TO THINK?
>> WELL, I'M HOLD ENOUGH TO REMEMBER THE HOUSE HEALTH CARE
VOTE BACK IN MARCH WHERE EVERYONE THOUGHT IT WAS DEAD IN
THE WATER. PAUL RYAN SET AN ARTIFICIAL
DEADLINE, PULLED THE BILL. THE REPUBLICANS WERE SO
DEFLATED. THEY WENT BACK TO THEIR
DISTRICTS. THEY GOT SHOUTED AT, BUT THEY
CAME BACK, AND THEY GOT IT TOGETHER.
AND SOME OF THEM REALLY HAD TO PLUG THEIR NOSE AND SWALLOW THAT
BILL AND VOTE FOR IT, BUT THEY CAME TOGETHER, AND THEY DID.
SO I WOULDN'T BE SHOCKED IF I SAW THE SAME THING HAPPEN IN THE
SENATE DESPITE ALL THE DOOM AND GLOOM AND EJA VU.
>> YOU'RE SPEAKING ABOUT THIS IS POLITICS AND THERE MAY BE
STRATEGIC REASONS. LET'S DO A LITTLE ROLL CALL WORK
BECAUSE I KNOW THAT'S WHAT YOU DO ALL DAY.
SHANNON, YOU WALK US THROUGH WHO YOU THINK IS A REAL NO VOTE OR
NOT BECAUSE THE COUNT IS PAUL, CRUZ, LEE, HELLER, COLLINS,
PORTMAN, CAPITO. WHO ARE THE NOES?
>> PROBABLY SUSAN COLLINS IS MAYBE THE MOST IN THE NO COLUMN.
I COULD SEE TED CRUZ GETTING WON OVER.
RAND PAUL, HE'S KIND OF A -- YOU KNOW, KIND OF GOES HIS OWN WAY.
I COULD SEE HIM STICKING TO HIS GUNS AND GOING NO.
I GO BACK TO THE HOUSE BILL, I MEAN THEY LOOKED SO FAR APART
WITH THE FREEDOM CAUCUS AND THE MODERATES AND THEY WERE ABLE TO
SQUEEZE OUT ENOUGH VOTES AND GIVE THEMSELVES ENOUGH COVER SO
AT THE END OF THE DAY, THEY WERE ABLE TO GET IT THROUGH.
THERE WERE PEOPLE IN THE HOUSE WHO VOTED THAT I REMEMBER SEEING
THE ROLL CALL COMING IN, THINKING I WAS SURPRISED.
I WOULDN'T HAVE THOUGHT THAT A MONTH AGO.
SO NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE IN CONGRESS, I GUESS.
>> RIGHT. AND, JOAN, YOU LOOK AT SARAH
HUCKABEE SANDERS. I DON'T WISH TO DEMEAN THE TOUGH
JOB SHE HAS. IT'S A HARD JOB TO BE A
SPOKESMAN ON POLICY FOR THIS PRESIDENT.
IT'S A BIT LIKE TRYING TO BE A TAILOR FOR SOMEONE MADE OUT OF
JELL-O. >> SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
>> LISTEN TO HER TRY TO MAKE SENSE OF HIS SHIFTING POSITIONS
ON HEALTH CARE. >> THE PRESIDENT HASN'T CHANGED
HIS THINKING AT ALL. I MEAN HE'S CAMPAIGNED ON,
TALKED ABOUT SINCE HE WAS ELECTED REPEALING AND REPLACING
OBAMACARE. WE'RE STILL FULLY COMMITTED TO
PUSHING THROUGH WITH THE SENATE AT THIS POINT, BUT WE'RE, YOU
KNOW, LOOKING AT EVERY POSSIBLE OPTION OF REPEALING AND
REPLACING OBAMACARE. >> THE PRESIDENT HASN'T CHANGED
HIS THINKING AT ALL. >> OF COURSE HE HAS, OR MAYBE HE
HASN'T. MAYBE HE DOESN'T THINK.
THAT'S THE OTHER POSSIBILITY. YOU KNOW, MAYBE SHE'S RIGHT.
HE DOESN'T THINK ABOUT THIS STUFF.
BUT, YOU KNOW, SHANNON MAKES A GREAT POINT, AND I TOO -- I'M A
DEMOCRAT. I HAVE FEAR THAT SHE COULD BE
RIGHT AND THEY COULD PULL THIS OFF.
BUT I THINK A COUPLE THINGS TELL US THAT IT'S GOING TO BE VERY
HARD. ONE IS THAT DONALD TRUMP DID
ACTUALLY PLAY A POSITIVE ROLE IN ARM-TWISTING SOME OF THOSE
REPUBLICANS IN THE HOUSE. >> ON THE HOUSE SIDE.
>> HE ABSOLUTELY DID. HE HAD SOMEWHAT MORE CREDIBILITY
BECAUSE HE LOSES MORE EVERY DAY. AND HE'S NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO
DO THAT. I THINK THAT IN ADDITION TO
SUSAN COLLINS AND RAND PAUL, THIS IS A VERY TOUGH VOTE FOR
DEAN HELLER OF NEVADA. HE'S THE MOST VULNERABLE
REPUBLICAN. HE'S COME OUT AS A SOLID NO.
THE WAY HE TALKS ABOUT THE BILL MAKES IT HARD TO BELIEVE THAT HE
WOULD BACKTRACK ON IT. BUT I THINK -- AND THEY ALSO,
FINALLY, THEY DID NOT WANT THIS TO HAPPEN, THIS MEANING THESE
GUYS AND WOMEN HAVE TO GO BACK INTO THEIR DISTRICTS AND FACE
ANGRY VOTERS AGAIN. THIS IS NOT WHAT MITCH McCONNELL
WANTED. >> RIGHT.
>> SO THAT'S ALSO DIFFERENT FROM THE HOUSE BILL WHEN PEOPLE KIND
OF -- THE ACTIVISTS GAVE UP AND THEY DIDN'T HAVE TO FACE TOWN
HALLS ANYMORE. SUDDENLY IT SEEMED SAFE TO VOTE
FOR IT. >> EVAN, IT'S FRIDAY NIGHT.
I DON'T WANT TO PUT YOU ON THE SPOT TO BE TOO METAPHYSICAL.
BUT WHEN THE REPUBLICAN NEW PROPOSALAL IS REPEAL NOW, BUT I
WOULDN'T KICK IN NOW, IS THAT NOW REALLY?
>> NO. IT CREATES UNCERTAINTY IN THE
MARKET, AND YOU'RE GOING TO SEE PREMIUMS SKYROCKET AND INSURANCE
COMPANIES TRYING TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THAT.
AND THERE WILL BE SUCH A FOG OF WAR FOR LACK OF A BETTER TERM
THAT NOBODY WILL BE HELPED BY THAT.
REPUBLICANS IN THE SENATE AT LEAST DID NOT WANT TO DO HEALTH
CARE REFORM AT THIS POINT IN TIME.
THEY WANTED TO DO TAX REFORM FIRST BECAUSE WHEN YOU FIGHT --
OR WHEN DEMOCRATS WERE TO FIGHT TAX REFORM, IT'S A STANDARD LINE
THAT DOESN'T REALLY REGISTER AS MUCH AS OH, GIVEAWAYS OF
TAXPAYER DOLLARS TO YOUR CORPORATE OVERLORDS, WHEREAS
WHEN YOU START DOING HEALTH CARE, IT'S A VISCERAL AND
COMBUSTIBLE THING THAT PEOPLE FEEL.
THEIR OWN HEALTH CARE IMPACTS THEM DIRECTLY.
SO I THINK THERE ARE A LOT OF REPUBLICANS WHO PRIVATELY SAY
THERE IS NO REASON WE SHOULD BE DOING THIS.
WE SHOULD BE DOING TAX REFORM AND REPAIRING OBAMACARE WHERE IT
NEEDS TO BE FIXED, ESPECIALLY IN MEDICAID WHICH ONLY ONLY REIMBU
61 CENTS ON THE DOLLAR. >> AND, SHANNON, IS THE
CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE THE DOG THAT BOTH BARKEDD AND BIT O
THIS FIGHT BECAUSE IT SEEMS THAT PEOPLE DID CARE ABOUT THEIR
NUMBERS AND WHAT THEY SAID WERE THE POTENTIAL PUBLIC HEALTH
DAMAGES OF THIS REPUBLICAN PROPOSAL.
>> THE CBO HAS REALLY BEEN THE ACHILLES' HEEL OF THIS BILL.
I MEAN THOSE NUMBERS, THAT 22 MILLION, THE 23 MILLION IN THE
HOUSE AND SENATE BILLS, THOSE ARE A VERY STRONG TALKING POINT
FOR OPPONENTS OF THIS BILL. AND THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION HAS
TRIED TO DISCREDIT THE CBO, BUT THEY HAVE FAILED WITH ANY
SPECIFICS ABOUT WHAT THE CBO BILL IS MISSING, WHAT THEY
AREN'T GETTING RIGHT, OR PROPOSING ANY ALTERNATIVE
ESTIMATE. SO ALL WE HAVE IS THE CBO TO GO
WITH, AND THAT PAINTS A VERY UGLY PICTURE THAT I DON'T SEE
HOW REPUBLICANS CAN REALLY GET AROUND FULLY.
>> AS THE OLD SAYING GOES, SHOUT OUT TO THE CBO.
IS THAT A SAYING? IT MAY NOT BE.
>>

GOP Strategist: Donald Trump Health Care Flip 'Immoral,' 'Wrong' | The Last Word | MSNBC

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