Following today’s failure of House Republicans to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, President Trump insisted that he “never said” that he had committed to repealing and replacing the health care reform law at the beginning of his presidency.
“I never said—I guess I’m here, what, 64 days—I never said ‘repeal and replace Obamacare’—you’ve all heard my speeches—I never said ‘repeal it and replace it within 64 days.’ I have a long time,” he said.
While Trump didn’t say he would repeal and replace the law within “64 days,” he did say in February 2016 that he would repeal and replace the law “immediately” upon taking office as president:
Obamacare is going to be repealed and replaced. We’re going to have a strong country again and Obamacare has to go. We can’t afford it, it’s no good. You’re going to end up with great health care for a fraction of the price and that’s gonna take place immediately after we go in. Okay? Immediately. Fast. Quick.
