One of the more unusual sidebars in the ongoing saga of the Republican-crafted American Health Care Act concerns a remark allegedly made by President Donald Trump calling the legislation "mean."
When Newsmax raised Trump's alleged quote Friday, press secretary Sean Spicer would not confirm nor deny he said it and offered no further explanation.
Citing an anonymous source, CNN said Trump described the AHCA version passed in the House as "mean" to a luncheon of Republican senators June 13. He reportedly explained to the senators his opinion the measure did not protect individuals in the marketplace.
The same CNN report said Trump twice urged senators to "add more money" to the AHCA.
The "mean" comment is incongruous and odd, since Trump has since publicly praised the House-passed AHCA as "generously kind, with heart" and "incredibly well-crafted."
So, did the President actually call the AHCA "mean," we asked Spicer, and does he believe the Senate should "add more money" to the legislation now proposed.
The president's top spokesman simply replied "I don't comment on private conversations that the president has."
John Gizzi is chief political columnist and White House correspondent for Newsmax. For more of his reports, Go Here Now.