President Trump is still unhappy with last week’s health care bill failure, and he’s found the perfect scapegoat to blame: the conservative Freedom Caucus:
The Freedom Caucus will hurt the entire Republican agenda if they don’t get on the team, & fast. We must fight them, & Dems, in 2018!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 30, 2017
The president’s tweet, which appears to indicate a desire to field primary challengers against some of the most conservative Members of Congress, is sure to stoke anger from both conservatives who opposed the president in the election and conservatives who supported him but opposed the health care bill on its merits.
Steve Deace, a conservative radio host and prominent #NeverTrump’er, posted this to Facebook this morning:
Behold your president. Attacking the only people even resembling heroes we have.
Please share this far and wide, and shove it down the throats of every cultist you know.
#NeverTrump’ers certainly see this as a “See, I Told You So” moment.
This isn’t the first time President Trump has gone after the Freedom Caucus, either. Last Friday, President Trump argued on Twitter that their opposition to the health care bill constituted support for Planned Parenthood funding:
The irony is that the Freedom Caucus, which is very pro-life and against Planned Parenthood, allows P.P. to continue if they stop this plan!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 24, 2017
Does this represent the beginning of a schism in the Republican Party? Or is this another negotiation tactic by President Trump designed to achieve consensus on health care reform?
UPDATE: The Freedom Caucus strikes back…
It didn’t take long for the swamp to drain @realDonaldTrump. No shame, Mr. President. Almost everyone succumbs to the D.C. Establishment. https://t.co/9bDo8yzH7I
— Justin Amash (@justinamash) March 30, 2017
Photo credit: Gage Skidmore
