One place Donald Trump is totally predictable is in his complete ignorance of the legislative process. But fret not, look no further than this friendly phrase to know when things are headed south: "shortly thereafter."
Think of it like a legislative snooze button—Trump's go-to when he has zero idea what’s actually happening. For instance, here he is on Trumpcare 1.0 in early January:
Mr. Trump appeared to be unclear both about the timing of already scheduled votes in Congress and about the difficulty of his demand — a repeal vote “probably some time next week” and a replacement “very quickly or simultaneously, very shortly thereafter.”
Yeah, not so much. Or rather, maybe not at all.
And here's Trump on Thursday, handicapping Trumpcare 2.0:
"I'd like to say next week, but it will be — I believe we will get it. And whether it's next week or shortly thereafter."
Gee, sounds familiar. Yet 24 hours later, Trump exploited his “shortly thereafter” loophole.
But wait—there’s more! It's not just for health care. “Shortly thereafter” is the know-nothing phrase that fits every piece of legislation, including the massive tax overhaul. The AP writes:
Earlier on Friday, the president said the package will be released on "Wednesday or shortly thereafter" — just before his 100 day mark in office.
Oops! No worries, White House officials knew just what to do—they immediately walked back that timing ... seizing on Trump's favorite phrase.
For what it's worth, the guy who's writing Trump's tax plan has tamped down expectations significantly on the tax roll out.
Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin initially set a goal of getting tax reform passed by August, but that deadline has slipped. Mnuchin now says the administration still hoped to get a bill passed well before the end of the year.
Or, shortly thereafter.
Here’s Trump’s latest on all things timing, as of Friday afternoon.