President Trump praised House Speaker Paul Ryan’s leadership on Tuesday, and said Ryan is making real progress toward repealing Obamacare and getting other GOP priorities done just weeks into the Trump administration.
While some have blamed Congress for not moving fast enough on those priorities, Trump said Ryan shouldn’t be blamed for the delay, and said his team is working through a complicated process to pass major legislation.
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“We’re set to propose a [health care] plan, and I’ll be talking about it, as you know, tonight.” –@POTUS pic.twitter.com/e42TKCXjbL
— FOX & friends (@foxandfriends) February 28, 2017
“I think that Paul Ryan and his whole group have been terrific,” Trump said Tuesday morning on Fox News. “I just left Paul Ryan and Mitch McConnell. You know, Paul is working very hard.”
Trump’s remarks are a 180-degree turnaround from the campaign, when Trump was attacking nearly everyone in Washington, including Ryan.
Ryan refused to endorse the unconventional GOP candidate, which led Trump to complain to his followers around the country about GOP leaders in Congress. Lately, though, the ice has melted, and both men have said they are optimistic they can work together to get big things done.
“You know, healthcare is a very complex subject,” Trump said. “If you do this, it affects nine different things. If you do that, it affects 15 different things.”
“I think we have a great plan, and I think Congress is absolutely taking a lot of blame, but it’s not their fault,” he said.
Trump also noted he’s only been president for about a month now, and said it would take more time than that to fix healthcare.
“They’ve been working on healthcare 30 years. I have only been here for, what is this, my fifth week?” he said. “And we’re set to propose a plan, and I’ll be talking about it as you know tonight.”
Trump is expected to outline his plans in more detail in an address to Congress Tuesday night.
