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Despite stunning setback, Trump vows ‘great’ substitute for Obamacare

WASHINGTON — United States President Donald Trump has sought to put a good face on his most stinging political setback yet, declaring that Obamacare would collapse and vowing to develop a “great” replacement.

WASHINGTON — United States President Donald Trump has sought to put a good face on his most stinging political setback yet, declaring that Obamacare would collapse and vowing to develop a “great” replacement.

“ObamaCare will explode and we will all get together and piece together a great healthcare plan for THE PEOPLE. Do not worry!” the Republican said on Twitter.

But it was far from clear how soon Mr Trump and fellow Republicans would be willing to wade again into the perilous political minefield of healthcare reform after failing to repeal Barack Obama’s signature programme.

Friday’s defeat was more than a small stumble: Mr Trump had thrown his full political weight behind the measure, the first big legislative test of his nascent administration.

The Bill’s failure marked a second major policy setback for Mr Trump, after courts froze his efforts to block travellers from several predominantly Muslim countries. The real-estate-mogul-turned-politician — who built his candidacy on his skills as a negotiator and deal closer — had very publicly twisted the arms of recalcitrant Republicans to rally votes, extending both carrots and sticks.

But far-right lawmakers of the so-called Freedom Caucus mostly stood their ground, and every Democrat shunned the Republicans’ legislation, forcing the last-minute cancellation of a vote. That raised questions about how Republican leaders would deal with the stubborn conservative bloc on major issues such as tax reform and infrastructure spending, and how well Mr Trump would be able to work with a divided party and a deeply polarised Congress.

“It’s really a problem in our own party, and that’s something he’ll need to deal with moving forward,” said Representative Tom Cole of Oklahoma, an ally of the centre-right Tuesday Group.

“At some point, I think that means looking beyond our conference. The President is a deal-maker, and Ronald Reagan cut some of his most important deals with Democrats.”

Mr Trump is not there yet. Before becoming a presidential candidate, he seemed to have little fixed ideology. But as President, he has operated from the standard-issue Republican playbook, embracing many of the positions of Speaker Paul Ryan and the party establishment.

“We were a 10-year opposition party,” Mr Ryan said in assessing the defeat, which has left him badly damaged, retaining a grip on the job but left to confront the realities of his failure. “Being against things was easy to do.”

Mr Trump declared himself “disappointed” and a “little surprised” by the defeat of the Bill, placing the blame on the Democrats and the “arcane” ways of Washington. His Vice-President, Mr Mike Pence, said Friday’s events were “a victory for the status quo in Washington,” although “that victory won’t last very long”.

Eventually, he said, both parties will come together and “we will end the Obamacare nightmare”.

While political analysts said the matter seemed dead for now, some conservatives urged Republicans not to give up. The National Review website told Republicans to keep fighting.

“They have spent seven years saying they were going to replace Obamacare. They didn’t say they were going to spend a few weeks on a half-baked plan and then give up. Back to work, ladies and gentlemen.”

Others were more scathing.

Mr Philip Klein, managing editor of the conservative Washington Examiner, called the setback “the biggest broken promise in political history”, concluding that “failing and then walking away on seven years of promises is a pathetic abdication of duty. The Republican Party is a party without a purpose”. AGENCIES

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