MSNBC host Lawrence O'Donnell attacked President Donald Trump on Thursday night, calling him the "laziest, most ignorant president in history" for his handling of the ongoing health care debate.
O'Donnell had a panel on his show, "The Last Word," to discuss Trump reportedly telling congressional Republicans on Thursday that he is done negotiating on the American Health Care Act, the House GOP bill to replace Obamacare.
About three dozen House Republicans, mainly from the conservative Freedom Caucus, still plan to vote against the bill, enough to kill the legislation. Trump supports the bill and has been working with House leadership to secure enough votes to pass the Obamacare replacement plan, offering changes to the current bill in hopes of assuaging uncertain Republicans.
Trump apparently told GOP lawmakers, however, they will need to vote on the plan Friday in its current form or live with the Affordable Care Act remaining in place.
White House budget director Mick Mulvaney confirmed the president's position on Friday.
"He's [Trump's] tired of the drawn out negotiations. He's tired of folks always coming up with better ideas, and nitpicking the bill as it is," Mulvaney told CNBC. "The president has his offer on the table."
O'Donnell castigated Trump's latest actions on the health care bill on his show.
"That's why this is so devastating," O'Donnell said. "If you are a House Republican and this is a tough vote for you, the president is saying to you on the front page of the New York Times tomorrow, 'I quit, and I quit in the Senate. I do not have the patience or the ability to stay focused on this and get it through the Senate,' which is much harder than getting it through the House."
Panelist Steven Brill agreed with O'Donnell but noted that, as he monitored Obamacare in 2009 and 2010, there were multiple times when he thought the bill would fail.
"It was dead at least ten different times," Brill said.
O'Donnell then slammed Trump.
"This is the laziest, most ignorant president in history," said O'Donnell, who defended former President Barack Obama's handling of health care legislation during his tenure.
"President Obama never once said something like this in the crusade to get that thing passed because he knew how to stay with it and get it passed," he said.