President Trump jokes he wanted to leave ObamaCare in place so 'the Dems would come begging'

Donald Trump.
(Image credit: Getty Images)

President Trump appeared to be in a cheerful mood when he addressed House and Senate Republicans at their retreat in Philadelphia on Thursday. In addition to quipping with the audience, Trump joked that he discussed a plan with House Speaker Paul Ryan to leave the Affordable Care Act in place for two years so "the Dems would come begging to do something."

"They would come to us," Trump said. "Except we have one problem. We have to take care of the American people immediately. So we can't wait. But every time they tell you about ObamaCare, we're taking them out of a big jam."

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Jeva Lange

Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.