Joe Scarborough blasts Trump for botched health-care bill: 'It's a lot tougher than it looks on TV'

(Image credit: Screenshot/MSNBC)

published 24 March 2017

Morning Joe co-host Joe Scarborough laid into President Trump on Friday for how badly he has botched his first major legislative effort, health-care reform. The morning after House Republican leaders delayed a planned vote on their proposal to repeal and replace ObamaCare, an exasperated Scarborough argued Trump should have spotted these looming problems from the get-go. "This was obvious," Scarborough said. "This was such an obviously stupid play done by somebody or a group of people who didn't know how Washington worked."

Aside from deciding to lead with health care, Trump's first mistake was the decision to lead with House Speaker Paul Ryan's "version of health care," Scarborough contended. Scarborough argued Ryan's version is "completely opposite of what Donald Trump promised every day on the campaign trail."

If Trump weren't such a "neophyte," Scarborough said, he would've known not to listen to Congress. "His problem is getting momentum legislatively, passing tax reform, passing regulatory reform, getting the wind behind their backs, and letting Ryan fight with John McCain and others in the Senate," Scarborough said. Then, when Congress comes "together with a bill ... [Trump] comes in at the end and plays peacemaker."