Trump again tweets about McCain voting against Obamacare repeal

PHOENIX — President Donald Trump again attacked U.S. Sen. John McCain over the Arizona senator’s announcement that he would vote against the latest Obamacare repeal effort in a tweet on Monday.

Trump tweeted a 6-plus minute long video of various news clips of McCain speaking out against the Affordable Care Act, the universal health care bill passed by former President Barack Obama in 2010.

The caption of the tweet read, “A few of the many clips of John McCain talking about Repealing & Replacing O’Care. My oh my has he changed-complete turn from years of talk!”

A few of the many clips of John McCain talking about Repealing & Replacing O'Care. My oh my has he changed-complete turn from years of talk! pic.twitter.com/t9cXG2Io86

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 26, 2017

The tweet came just three days after McCain announced he would vote against the Graham-Cassidy proposal, the latest Republican effort to repeal Obamacare, because it was not subject to debate, amendments and review by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office.

“I [could not] support it without knowing how much it will cost, how it will affect insurance premiums, and how many people will be helped or hurt by it,” McCain said in a statement. “Without a full CBO score, which won’t be available by the end of the month, we won’t have reliable answers to any of those questions.”

Trump first attacked McCain for his position on the health care bill Saturday, saying in a series of tweets that McCain “let Arizona down!”

John McCain never had any intention of voting for this Bill, which his Governor loves. He campaigned on Repeal & Replace. Let Arizona down!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 23, 2017

Arizona had a 116% increase in ObamaCare premiums last year, with deductibles very high. Chuck Schumer sold John McCain a bill of goods. Sad

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 23, 2017

Large Block Grants to States is a good thing to do. Better control & management. Great for Arizona. McCain let his best friend L.G. down!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 23, 2017

Trump continued to talk about the senator’s vote on Monday morning, telling an Alabama radio station that McCain is the “only reason we don’t have [health care reform].”

“What McCain has done is a tremendous slap to the face of the Republican Party,” Trump told the Birmingham, Alabama-based “Rick and Bubba Show.”

But McCain told reporters on Monday that he was not phased by the president’s public attacks, telling CNN that he does not “react to what the president says. I react to the things he does.”

John McCain on Trump's attacks against him: "I have no reaction. I don't react to what the president says. I react to the things he does."

— Jason K. Morrell (@CNNJason) September 25, 2017

McCain’s announcement that he would vote against the Graham-Cassidy proposal came as a shock to some, who thought the bill’s support from Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey and the senator’s close friendship with Sen. Lindsey Graham, who introduced the legislation, would be enough for him to vote for it.

Graham defended his friend during a CNN town hall event on Monday, saying “nobody respects you more than I do.”

Helluva moment on CNN: @LindseyGrahamSC mounts an impassioned defense of @SenJohnMcCain despite his stance that killed his health care bill. pic.twitter.com/Ri4vha3dLO

— Sahil Kapur (@sahilkapur) September 26, 2017

But it was not McCain’s first time voting against a Republican-led effort to repeal Obamacare: In July, McCain dramatically voted against an effort to repeal parts of Obamacare, effectively killing it.

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