House Republicans 'can't believe' Trump called their healthcare bill 'mean'

On Tuesday, reports surfaced that President Donald Trump called the House GOP's healthcare bill "mean" during a lunch with Republican senators who are crafting their own version of the bill.

Axios' Jonathan Swan reported that House GOP lawmakers who voted for the American Health Care Act are not happy with the president's assessment.

A Republican House member told Swan that Trump's reversal on a bill he helped sell was shocking, saying, "for him to turn around and do this, it's stunning. I can't believe it."

Other reports said Trump called the bill a "son of a b----" and told senators at the luncheon their version of the AHCA needed to be more "generous."

The criticisms appeared to stem from the fact that nonpartisan analysis projected healthcare costs for elderly and lower-income Americans would increase dramatically under the AHCA. The Congressional Budget Office also estimated that 23 million more Americans would be without insurance in 2026 compared to the current baseline.

Trump's comments come just a few weeks after Trump celebrated the AHCA's passage with House Republicans during a White House Rose Garden ceremony after personally lobbying many members to support the bill.

According to Swan, a Democrat on the House Ways and Means Committee trolled Republicans over the comment during a bill mark-up on Thursday.

"See, we told you your health care bill was mean," the member said. "Now the president agrees with us."