No one can ever say that Donald Trump isn’t a man of contradictions.
Just hours after the House Republicans passed a bill to repeal Obamacare on his urging on Thursday, the president praised Australia’s universal health care system, which gives citizens free access to doctors and public hospitals with the government footing the bill.
In a press conference with Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, Trump said: “You have better health care than we do.
Alrighty then …
“We have a failing health care — I shouldn’t say this to our great gentleman and my friend from Australia, because you have better health care than we do,” Trump said during a meeting aboard the USS Intrepid in New York City.
Priceless.
Watch Bernie Sanders on @MSNBC react to Trump's praise of Australia's universal health care system: "Thank you, Mr. President!" pic.twitter.com/gp9NH7usx5
— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) May 5, 2017
Earlier on Thursday, the GOP’s second attempt at a health care reform bill was narrowly passed by the Republican-controlled House. If passed by the Senate, where it will face stiff opposition, it will replace Obama’s Affordable Care Act.
President Trump’s “victory” in the health care war was slammed by many people on Thursday, and his comments to Turnbull were met with ironic laughter from former presidential candidate Bernie Sanders.
“The President has just said it, that’s great,” the Democrat told MSNBC host Chris Hayes.
“Let us move to a Medicare-for-all system that does what every major country on Earth does: Guarantee health care to all people at a fraction of the cost per capita,” he continued. “Thank you Mr. President, we’ll quote you on the floor of the Senate.”
Of course, Trump’s proclamation that “I love Australia,” comes three months after his phone call fight with Turnbull, in which he slammed the country for its immigration policy and hinted he would reverse a plan for the U.S. to accept up to 1,250 refugees.
https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/827002559122567168?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thewrap.com%2Ftrump-picks-a-fight-with-australian-prime-minister-during-heated-phone-call-sparks-social-media-aftermath%2F
“You guys exaggerated that call,” he said to reporters Thursday, according to the Wall Street Journal. “That was a big exaggeration. We had a great call.” As for the issue of refugees, that had “been worked out,” he added.