Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D., N.Y.) praised three Republican senators early Friday morning for helping to defeat the Obamacare repeal, calling it "an amazing moment."
"First, you know last night was an amazing moment and the credit goes to a lot of people, but at the top of the list are the three who showed amazing courage to resist the pressure and do what's good for the country," Schumer said.
Schumer went on to say that Sen. John McCain (R., Ariz.) was at the top of his list for voting against the repeal of Obamacare.
"He and I have been friends for a very long time, ever since the 'Gang of Eight,' which we put together and I have not seen a senator who speaks truth to power as strongly as well and as frequently as John McCain. The very same courage he showed as a naval aviator in Vietnam, he showed last night and has shown time and time again," Schumer said.
He put McCain in the same category as the late Democratic Sens. Ted Kennedy (Mass.) and Daniel Inouye (Hawaii), who he called "great men."
Schumer also praised Republican Sens. Susan Collins (Maine) and Lisa Murkowski (Alaska) for voting against repealing Obamacare.
"They were amazing and women are in so many instances stronger than men. They brag less about it, but they are and last night sort of proved that. And somebody who is in a family of strong women, I very much appreciate their strength, their courage, and their dedication to principle," Schumer said.
The three Republican senators were joined by 48 Democratic and Independent senators to reject Senate Republicans from passing the "skinny repeal" bill.
Trump castigated the senators who voted against the repeal on Twitter early Friday morning by saying that they "let the American people down."
3 Republicans and 48 Democrats let the American people down. As I said from the beginning, let ObamaCare implode, then deal. Watch!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 28, 2017