President Trump asked "who wants to talk politics?" during his speech before the Boy Scouts of America in West Virginia Monday. Yet, he couldn't resist. At one point during his speech he turned to his HHS Secretary Tom Price and joked that he would be "fired" if he doesn't get the votes needed to pass the Republican health care legislation.
Trump to HHS Secretary Tom Price: "Are you going to get the votes? You better get them. Otherwise I’ll say, 'Tom you’re fired.’" pic.twitter.com/47wlVAUqOo
— BuzzFeed News (@BuzzFeedNews) July 24, 2017
Was it a joke?
Trump has been sending veiled threats to Republicans in Congress regarding their botched handling the effort to repeal and replace Obamacare. If they don't succeed in dismantling this "horrible thing," the "repercussions" will be beyond anything they can understand, he tweeted Sunday and reiterated Monday. He also slammed those Republicans who he said benefitted from his 2016 win but now won't lift a finger to "protect" him.
The Senate is pushing for a vote on the legislation and are hoping to hold a debate Tuesday. Yet, moderates remain wary about the lack of funding for Medicaid. Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) predicted the bill, as is, would hurt the country's "most vulnerable."
Some senators are even confused as to which version of the bill they'll be voting on.
“We have no earthly idea what we will be voting on tomorrow other than that it’ll be moving to the House bill, but everybody knows it’s not really going to be the House bill,” according to Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY).