Rep. Mo Brooks: Trump’s Drop in Popularity Tied to Attacks on Other Republicans Over Health Care Reform

Alabama Republican Rep. Mo Brooks told reporters attacks by President Donald Trump and other members of the White House staff upon members of the House Freedom Caucus and fellow Republicans during the recent fight over the star-crossed American Health Care Act have hurt his relationship with the American people.

“I don’t believe that it is very productive for the Trump White House to attack Republicans, and I think that is reflected in how his job performance and personal popularity numbers have been on the decline since he did that,” said the congressman, who had just left a meeting hosted by Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) with other members of the House Freedom Caucus about moving forward with reforms to the 2010 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, Obamacare.

The administration needs to take a different approach. It needs to be professionally done–focusing in public policy and legislation,” he said.

Brooks also said he was uncomfortable discussing what happened at the meeting.

“Donald Trump is a pretty good golfer,” he said. The congressman was referring to Sunday’s foursome at the Trump National Golf Club —Sterling, Virginia — when the president golfed with Paul, White House budget chief Mick Mulvaney, and one other.

I had a great time today with @realDonaldTrump and believe we are getting closer to an agreement on health care!

— Senator Rand Paul (@RandPaul) April 2, 2017

The legislative vehicle Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) presented as the only way to repeal-and-replace Obamacare was the American Health Care Act, or Ryancare. The House Freedom Caucus was in talks with the White House when Ryan pulled the Ryancare bill from the House floor March 24, nearly 15 minutes before the beginning of a roll call vote that Ryan was sure to lose.

A Capitol Hill source familiar with the House Freedom Caucus told Breitbart News that even after the cancelled vote, members of the HFC have continued discussions with the White House about fixing Obamacare, which Ryan and other members of the House Republican leadership describe as being in a “death spiral,” because of its unsustainable business model.

“I am more than happy to consider any health care bill that will reduce the cost of insurance premiums to American citizens,” Brooks said.

Not only does the Ryancare bill create conditions that will see premiums continue to go up; the bill also creates a new welfare entitlement through income tax credits for Americans with no tax liability.