House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi on Friday accused President Trump of employing crude tactics to win Republican support for an Obamacare repeal and replace bill that is so far struggling for support in the party.
“If he’s in a dealmaking [mode], does that mean bowling at the White House in return for support for legislation?” Pelosi, D-Calif., said at a Christian Science Monitor breakfast.
“I find the charm offensive, offensive. I really do,” Pelosi said. “I think he’s making fools of his own people, quite frankly. ‘You don’t agree philosophically in what the legislation is? Let’s go bowling at the White House, okay?’ Come on.”
“The president of the United States is the most powerful person in the world. What does he know to be able to make a difference in what we can talk about?” she asked. “If what he wants to talk about is an existential threat to the idea of expanding access to affordable care, that’s not a negotiable thing,” Pelosi said of the chances for future deals with Trump, including on healthcare. “If we’re talking about particulars, let’s see what he has to talk about. So far we haven’t seen it.”
Throughout the week, Trump has spent time pitching the healthcare plan to skeptical lawmakers. He had dinner with Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, on Wednesday and has spoken with Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., a vocal critic of the House GOP bill. A group of GOP lawmakers also took to the White House bowling lanes on Thursday night.
Pelosi said infrastructure was still one area that could lead to some agreement with Trump, depending on the contents of the package. But she cautioned that if it’s anything along the lines of the healthcare proposal, it will likely not get far.
“We’ll see what he has to say. We’re always open,” Pelosi said.
