This is the guy who calls himself a brilliant negotiator?
Almost three weeks after canceling a vote on his health-care package over infighting among his fellow Republicans and the opposition of the Democrats, President Donald Trump dug back into the fight on Wednesday, threatening to withhold payments to insurers to force Democrats to the negotiating table.
In an interview in the Oval Office, Mr. Trump said the White House may lack authority to make the payments established under his predecessor to reduce copayments and deductibles for some of the poorest customers who buy insurance under the 2010 Affordable Care Act. Cutting off the payments could trigger turmoil in insurance markets.
"I don't want people to get hurt," Mr. Trump said. "What I think should happen—and will happen—is the Democrats will start calling me and negotiating."
To quote Greg Sargent, "If Dems don't help me kill Obamacare, I'll do it myself, and the murder weapon will have only my fingerprints on it." That'll work to get them to help you, sure. He's promising to harm millions of people as a negotiating ploy. (And he's got the nuclear button. Think about that.)
This isn't going to work—because while Trump might not understand this part, Democrats do: By a 75-19 margin, Americans want Trump and his administration to make the ACA work, not sabotage it. That whole "blame the Democrats" thing? Not going to happen.
Meanwhile, the nation's leading healthcare industry groups—America’s Health Insurance Plans, the American Medical Association, and the American Hospital Association—have written to Trump and to congressional leaders pleading with them to fund these payments and not throw the whole system into chaos. Oh, and it’s not just the industry groups: the U.S. Chamber of fucking Commerce signed this letter, too.
Hmmmm, now which side do you suppose Democrats—and all the not-Freedom Caucus Republicans!—will come down on?