This morning we noted that a civil war within the Republican party looked all but inevitable after Trump threatened to fight Freedom Caucus members in the 2018 mid-term elections for holding up his healthcare legislation in the House. Apparently they took offense to the threat as several conservative members of the House, including Idaho Congressman Raul Labrador and former Chairman of the House Freedom Caucus Jim Jordan, quickly followed up with return fire over twitter and Fox News.
Now, it appears as though Trump is prepared to go nuclear against members of his own party with his latest tweet calling out individual congressmen by name.
“If @RepMarkMeadows, @Jim_Jordan and @Raul_Labrador would get on board we would have both great healthcare and massive tax cuts & reform.”
If @RepMarkMeadows, @Jim_Jordan and @Raul_Labrador would get on board we would have both great healthcare and massive tax cuts & reform.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 30, 2017
Something tells us that those continued healthcare discussions aren’t going as well as certain members of the House would like for us to believe.
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For those who missed it, below is our coverage of the twitter war that started this morning and has developed throughout the day.
Update: Idaho Congressman Raul Labrador has just chimed in with his own tweet advising Trump to “remember who your real friends are…we’re trying to help you succeed.”
@realDonaldTrump Freedom Caucus stood with u when others ran. Remember who your real friends are. We’re trying to help u succeed.
— Raúl R. Labrador (@Raul_Labrador) March 30, 2017
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After Trump drew ‘first blood’ this morning with a tweet threatening to fight Freedom Caucus members in the 2018 mid-term elections, a pair of House representatives have fired back with aggressive tweets of their own implying that Trump’s healthcare plan was evidence that he had “succumb to the D.C. Establishment.”
“It didn’t take long for the swamp to drain @realDonaldTrump. No shame, Mr. President. Almost everyone succumbs to the D.C. Establishment.”
“.@realDonaldTrump it’s a swamp not a hot tub. We both came here to drain it. #SwampCare polls 17%. Sad!”
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
.@realDonaldTrump it’s a swamp not a hot tub. We both came here to drain it. #SwampCare polls 17%. Sad! https://t.co/4kjygV2tdS
— Thomas Massie (@RepThomasMassie) March 30, 2017
Ohio Representative Jim Jordan, the former chairman of the House Freedom Caucus, also defended conservative lawmakers earlier today on Fox News. Per The Hill:
“The Freedom Caucus is trying to change Washington, this bill keeps Washington the same, plain and simple,” Jordan said Thursday on Fox News’ “America’s Newsroom.”
“We appreciate the president, we are trying to help the president. But the fact is, you have to look at the legislation. It doesn’t do what we told the voters we were going to do, and the American people understand that. That’s why only 17 percent of the population supports this legislation.”
Jordan wouldn’t comment on the threat regarding the 2018 midterms, instead characterizing the scuttled healthcare vote as just a “postponement” and arguing that Republicans will succeed if they deliver on their promises to voters.
“Lets forget the blame and what may happen in the future, lets just do what we said. That’s what the Freedom Caucus and what Republicans are committed to,” he said.
Of course these latest tweets come after Trump took to twitter earlier this morning, saying “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!“
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
So, Republican civil war it is…Ultimate winner: Democrats.
via http://ift.tt/2nB3xGn Tyler Durden