Trump says he hopes Supreme Court strikes down ObamaCare

President Trump says in an interview with “60 Minutes” that he would like to see the Supreme Court “end” the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and that he would announce his own health care plan after the case is ruled on.

“It is developed. It is fully developed. It is going to be announced very soon when we see what happens with ObamaCare, which is not good,” Trump said when questioned by CBS News correspondent Lesley Stahl on why he hasn’t released the health care plan that he has long promised.

“It will be much less expensive than ObamaCare, which is a disaster, and it will take care of people with preexisting conditions,” he continued.

Trump would not elaborate on how the plan would protect those with preexisting conditions. He claimed that “pieces” of his plan had been released before, saying later that it “will” be developed and suggesting that despite his assurances it has not been fully formed.

“We have to see what happens. It’s got a ways to go. We’ll see what happens,” Trump said of his administration’s current efforts to challenge the ACA, a case the Supreme Court is slated to take up in November following the presidential election.

“I hope that they end it. It will be so good if they end it because we will come up with a plan,” Trump said.

Stahl pressed Trump on his plan, noting that he used the word “will” when discussing its formation. She repeatedly noted that many Americans would be “scrambling” if the Supreme Court strikes down ObamaCare without Republicans having a plan to replace it.

“Yeah, we will,” Trump replied. “We have large sections of it already done and we have already come up with plans.”

Trump has made clear before that he would like to see the ACA struck down. Still, his remarks to “60 Minutes” undermine efforts by Republicans to downplay the threat to the previous administration’s signature health care law during the confirmation fight over Trump’s Supreme Court nominee, Amy Coney Barrett.

After Democrats mounted an effort to portray Barrett as a threat to the health care law during her confirmation hearings last week, Republicans tried to downplay the chances that the high court will ultimately strike down the law. Conservative legal scholars have said that the Supreme Court is unlikely to side with the Trump administration in its efforts.

“No one believes the Supreme Court is going to strike down the Affordable Care Act,” Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said last week during a debate with his Democratic challenger.

If successful, the lawsuit would result in about 20 million people losing health insurance, and popular protections for individuals with preexisting conditions would be eliminated. Polls have shown that a majority of Americans have a favorable view of the health care law.

The Democratic National Committee (DNC) immediately seized on Trump’s remarks.

“Now we know why Trump was so mad about this interview. He just made it transparently obvious to the American people that his only plan for health care is to take away yours,” said DNC War Room spokesperson Daniel Wessel in a statement. “Trump’s demand that the Supreme Court overturn the Affordable Care Act would rip health care away from tens of millions of Americans and end protections for as many as 133 million Americans with preexisting conditions. That’s been his position from day one and it’s clear nothing’s changed.”

Trump released the White House’s own video of his “60 Minutes” interview on Thursday, in defiance of an agreement with CBS News. The interview, taped Tuesday, is supposed to air during Sunday’s program. Trump did so after growing angry with Stahl and claiming her questions were unfair before walking out and terminating the interview.

Shortly before he released the clip, GOP senators on the Senate Judiciary Committee voted to advance Barrett’s nomination even as Democrats boycotted the panel vote. The full Senate is expected to vote to confirm Barrett early next week.

Trump’s release of the video also comes hours before his final debate with Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden, who has hammered the president over his attacks on ObamaCare and protections for preexisting conditions.