Trump just declared war on the House Freedom Caucus

(Image credit: NICHOLAS KAMM/AFP/Getty Images)

last updated 30 March 2017

President Trump has been smarting ever since the ultra-conservative House Freedom Caucus helped crush the GOP health-care bill last week, claiming it looked too similar to ObamaCare. On Thursday, the president made himself abundantly clear: The Democrats are the enemy, but so too are more than two dozen Freedom Caucus members if they continue to oppose him:

Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), who often aligns with the Freedom Caucus, also mocked Trump for the threat:

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Of the 435-member House, there are 193 Democrats and approximately 32 Freedom Caucus-aligned conservatives, equaling a potential Trump-opposing block of 225 votes. As NBC News' Bradd Jaffy wonders: "What's [Trump's] strategy in attacking everyone here?"

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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.