Trump says vote on GOP’s Healthcare could be post-2020

President Donald Trump said late Monday night that Republicans are working on a new health care plan but won't introduce it until after the 2020 election.

Trump's vow last week that the Republican Party will be "the party of healthcare" caught his fellow Republicans off guard after the Justice Department backed a lawsuit intended to wipe out Obamacare, which has helped millions of Americans get health insurance.

"Everybody agrees that ObamaCare doesn't work. Premiums & deductibles are far too high - Really bad HealthCare! Even the Dems want to replace it, but with Medicare for all, which would cause 180 million Americans to lose their beloved private health insurance," Trump said on Twitter. There is no evidence that there is another health care reform proposal coming from the GOP.

"The Republicans are developing a really great HealthCare Plan with far lower premiums (cost) & deductibles than ObamaCare. In other words, it will be far less expensive & much more usable than ObamaCare. Vote will be taken right after the Election when Republicans hold the Senate & win back the House. It will be truly great HealthCare that will work for America. Also, Republicans will always support Pre-Existing Conditions. The Republican Party will be known as the Party of Great HealthCare. Meantime, the USA is doing better than ever & is respected again!"

Trump's statements come a week after his administration announced that it now agreed with a judge's ruling that the entire Affordable Care Act should be scrapped. The opinion was a dramatic reversal from the administration's previous stance that only portions of the act could not be defended.

Trump has been stymied on one of his primary campaign promises -- to repeal the signature law of his predecessor -- despite multiple attempts in Congress. Trump attempted on multiple occasions to repeal Obamacare during 2017, when his party was in control of both chambers of Congress but failed to do so due to a lack of support within his own party.

The failed attempts proved to be a galvanizing force for Democrats in the 2018 midterms. Health care was the top issue for Democratic and independent voters, and focusing on the issue helped Democrats take over the House in January.