President Donald Trump said Monday evening at a dinner with GOP senators that the Republican Party would look like "dopes" if they could not pass a health care bill after passing a bill to effectively repeal Obamacare in 2015, which was vetoed by former President Barack Obama.
"If the Republicans have the House, Senate, and the presidency and they can't pass this health care bill they are going to look weak," Trump said, according to a source who spoke with Politico.
"How can we not do this after promising it for years?" Trump reportedly said.
Trump was not aware defections were coming that night, another White House official with knowledge of the meeting told Politico.
"Why would we have a dinner like that if we knew people were going to drop out?" the official said.
Democrats celebrated after the announcements that Sens. Mike Lee (R., Utah) and Jerry Moran (R., Kan.) would not support the bill.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D., N.Y.) said that the "second failure of Trumpcare is proof positive that the core of this bill is unworkable."