Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., told Esquire Magazine he voted to kill the Obamacare Skinny Repeal bill in late July despite heavy pressure from President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence.
Pence tried to persuade McCain on the Senate floor and in his private office to vote yes on the legislation, which left untouched big sections of Obamacare but would have resulted in 16 million more people being without insurance over a decade.
McCain, who had been diagnosed with brain cancer the week before, cast the "no" vote two days after a dramatic return to the Senate floor. Trump personally called him in an attempt to sway him.
"I said, 'I thank you, Mr. President, for your involvement,'" McCain told Esquire during an in-depth interview.
"But I said, 'I cannot vote for something called skinny repeal; I can't do it; I didn't even see the bill until [Monday]; I mean, this is insanity; I appreciate the call, and now I have to go vote, and I'm sorry,'" McCain said.
McCain cast his "no" vote July 29 at 1:29 a.m. ET by giving a thumbs-down, a move that drew gasps from Republicans and cheers from the Democrats in the chamber.