As Health Care Bill Collapses, Trump Plays With a Shiny Firetruck

"He was playing with a firetruck and trying on a cowboy hat as the bill was collapsing and he had no clue."

That quote, given to CNN reporter Jeff Zeleny, sums up the political events of July 17th, 2017.

Yesterday, President Trump jumped in a big red firetruck outside the White House while celebrating "Made in America" week. Later that day, two Republican Senators backed out of supporting the American Health Care Act (AHCA), the party's second major effort to repeal and replace Obamacare, effectively killing the bill. The Republicans needed a simple majority of 50 votes to pass the AHCA.

"Where's the fire? I'll put it out!" the President joked to Vice President Mike Pence while pretending to be on a high speed chase to put out a fire in the truck's driver's seat.

The moment eerily echoes the events of March 23rd, when Trump jumped in another big truck as the vote on the AHCA was postponed in the House of Representatives, also due to lack of consensus within the Republican party.

The images of Trump looking giddy in the truck were met with a fine cocktail of punchlines and face palms from Americans on Twitter, with many simultaneously amused and embarrassed by the sight of their President with a giddy smile like a giant toddler around a shiny fancy toy.

Obviously this is true. But also the only good thing about Trump is that he always does these vroom faces in trucks. https://t.co/dO53SaaQQj

— David Roth (@david_j_roth) July 18, 2017

It's funny until I remember this is the man that represents my country. 😞

— Matthew David Ward (@MatthewDWard) July 17, 2017

big day for a big boy!!!!!! 🚒 🚒 🚒 https://t.co/YIJXHmDYbL

— Sara Yasin (@missyasin) July 17, 2017

Sadly, Trump's all-out push for Senate bill – including 2 days at a golf tournament & pretending to drive a fire truck – came up just short pic.twitter.com/6flQrH4W58

— Judd Legum (@JuddLegum) July 18, 2017

And not surprisingly, in response to the news of yet another setback in Congress, President Trump refused to take any blame for the debacle surrounding the repeal of Obamacare at the Capitol, followed by a tweet that openly called for its repeal without a replacement in place, a move that could leave 32 million Americans without insurance and cause premiums to go up 100%, according to Conneticut Senator Chris Murphy. One wonders how such a move would affect the firefighters nationwide.