President Donald Trump Friday vowed to "let Obamacare implode" after bare-bones legislation to repeal the healthcare law failed on a decisive early morning vote cast by Arizona Republican Sen. John McCain.
"They should have approved healthcare last night, but you can't have everything," Trump told law enforcement at a rally vowing to destroy the MS-13 street gang on Long Island in New York.
"They've been working on that one for seven years," he said. "Can you believe that?
"The swamp.
"But we'll get it done," Trump said. "We're going to get it done.
"I said from the beginning, let Obamacare implode, and then do it.
"I turned out to be right. Let Obamacare implode."
McCain, 80, who returned to Washington this week after brain cancer surgery, joined Republican Sens. Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska to vote against a "skinny" bill that would have repealed core elements of the Affordable Care Act.
McCain cast his vote around 1:30 a.m. Friday. The legislation failed 49-51, falling just short of the 50 votes needed to advance it.
The senator said Thursday that he would not support the repeal, proposed by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, unless House Republicans agreed to go to conference to reach a deal for broader healthcare reform.
On Tuesday, McCain cast the 50th vote to start debate on the "skinny" repeal bill, creating a tie that was broken by Vice President Mike Pence.
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