American television host Jimmy Kimmel responded to President Trump’s support of a bill that attempts to overhaul the Affordable Care Act by saying Trump would sign copies of the Koran in Iraq if it meant abolishing Obamacare.
Kimmel shared Trump’s tweets from Wednesday where Trump said he would not support a bill that did not cover pre-existing conditions.
“I would not sign Graham-Cassidy if it did not include coverage of pre-existing conditions,” he tweeted. “It does! A great Bill. Repeal & Replace.”
Senator (Doctor) Bill Cassidy is a class act who really cares about people and their Health(care), he doesn’t lie-just wants to help people!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 21, 2017
“Which those are the key words: repeal and replace,” Kimmel said. “Because for Donald Trump, this isn’t about the Graham-Cassidy bill, it’s about getting rid of Obamacare, which he hates, primarily because Obama’s name is on it. He likes to have his name on things.”
“At this point, he’d sign anything at this point if it meant getting rid of Obamacare,” he added. “He’d sign copies of the Koran at Barnes and Noble in Fallujah if it meant he could get rid of Obamacare.”
Kimmel shared another tweet from Trump that defended Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La.
“Senator (Doctor) Bill Cassidy is a class act who really cares about people and their Health(care), he doesn’t lie-just wants to help people!” Trump tweeted Wednesday.
In response, Kimmel shared his own reply to Trump.
“That’s great news Mr. President!” Kimmel tweeted Wednesday. “Does that mean he’ll vote against the horrible bill he wrote?”
“I still haven’t heard back on that,” Kimmel told the audience Thursday.
Kimmel also responded to Sen. Lindsay Graham’s assertion that Trump had a laser focus on health care by saying Trump likely didn’t know much about the legislation.
“I guarantee he doesn’t know anything about this Graham-Cassidy bill,” Kimmel said. He doesn’t know the difference between Medicare and Medicaid. He barely knows the difference between Melania and Ivanka.”
Proposed by Cassidy and Sen. Lindsay Graham, R-S.C., the plan would overhaul the Affordable Care Act and remove individual and employer mandates required by Obamacare. Additionally, the money currently being allocated to Obamacare’s exchanges and Medicaid expansion would be given to the states through federal block grants.
As a result, senators working on the legislation say that states will be able to address protections for those with pre-existing conditions. Kimmel, who has a son with a pre-existing health condition that required open heart surgery shortly after he was born, slammed Cassidy on Tuesday and Wednesday on his show, “Jimmy Kimmel Live!”, and said Cassidy lied to him earlier in the year over his commitment to support legislation that guaranteed coverage for all families.
