President Donald Trump on Thursday afternoon said that the House would vote later in the day on the Republican bill to repeal and replace Obamacare, amid reports that the vote would not take place until Friday at the earliest as leaders scrambled to secure enough votes for its passage.
“Today the House is voting to repeal and replace the disaster known as Obamacare,” Trump said in a listening session with truckers and CEOs. “We’ll see what happens. It’s going to be a very close vote.”
He said that the vote will be close “not because Obamacare is good” but because of “politics.”
“It’s no good. Everybody knows it’s no good,” Trump said. “It’s only politics, because we have a great bill. And I think we have a very good chance.”
Several outlets reported Thursday that the vote had been delayed by at least a day:
NEWS – No AHCA vote today, per GOP source. Still possible tomorrow
— John Bresnahan (@BresPolitico) March 23, 2017
Scalise’s office: Procedural votes at 8 pm, votes are now expected in the House tomorrow.
— Al Weaver (@alweaver22) March 23, 2017
Breaking: No vote on healthcare today per @kasie
— Katy Tur (@KatyTurNBC) March 23, 2017
Trump, amid the furor, spent his afternoon honking the horn of an 18-wheeler truck parked on the White House lawn.