While discussing a photo of President Donald Trump and a collection of Republican House members Friday, MSNBC's "Morning Joe" panel ripped Trump and the GOP over Thursday's narrow vote to replace Obamacare, calling Trump and his cronies "fat, middle-aged white guys."
The picture in question was a photo-op for the president and select members of the House GOP, which was a celebratory set up in the White House Rose Garden after the House passed the American Health Care Act, which is the Trump-backed plan to "repeal and replace" Obamacare. Trump had postponed his first return to New York City since being elected in order to hold the event at the White House.
"They all voted for Trump," Donny Deutsch said about the photo being displayed on screen. "There’s no moral compass, there’s no political compass, there’s disabled children who will be losing their benefits in school, and what are we looking at? A bunch of fat, middle-aged white guys."
Mika Brzezinski chimed in that the men — and one single woman — standing behind Trump in the photo resembled a "golf course ribbon cutting" more than anything else and described the assembled lawmakers were a "sea of political stupidity." Brzezinski said the one woman in the photo didn't "look too happy."
As the panelists, including Joe Scarborough, Brzezinski and Deutsch, took a major swipe at the president's celebratory photo-op, they questioned how Trump and the GOP would explain the cloudiness of the bill to the U.S. public and whether or not it would improve health care at large, or whether the passing of the bill would simply make for larger tax breaks to the rich.
The co-hosts also voiced a collective concern of the public over whether patients with pre-existing conditions would continue to receive the same care they did under Obamacare.
The AHCA would remove Obamacare taxes levied on insurance companies and the wealthy, as well as eliminate the mandate requiring U.S. citizens to carry health insurance. The bill would also do away with subsidies that lower premiums for those who purchased their health plans through the government marketplace, replacing them with age-based tax credits in order for individuals to purchase their own health care.
One of the most controversial aspects of the bill would allow insurance companies to opt out of the previously mandated clause requiring carriers to cover all pre-existing conditions so long as the state set up a high-risk pool from which those with the conditions could draw. The insurance providers would then effectively be able to charge individuals and families more in premiums if there were a coverage gap.
The "Morning Joe" crew weren't the only people tearing into the Trump-GOP photo-op. Twitter was ablaze after the photo of the presidential celebration went viral, many of them sharing the same sentiments uttered by the MSNBC hosts:
Who else feels like they're on the #Titanic? Women &children first! Oh sorry a bunch of old white dudes took the life boats. U can drown now
— MichelleTrachtenberg (@RealMichelleT) May 4, 2017
this sea of smug, laughing, doughy white men are celebrating taking away healthcare for 24 million americans pic.twitter.com/2IAP90yo6V
— Dana Schwartz (@DanaSchwartzzz) May 4, 2017
Nothing like a bunch of rich, white, old, straight men on Government funded healthcare taking healthcare away from the rest of us. #swamppic.twitter.com/zUiNOB5Abt
— Thomas Cavaness (@thomascavaness) May 4, 2017
Hey look, it's a group of privileged white dudes celebrating the suffering of the underprivileged! #AHCApic.twitter.com/meb25ar1iI
— John Haltiwanger (@jchaltiwanger) May 4, 2017
look at all these old white men pic.twitter.com/I88CMh0I1H
— skylar bergl (@skylarbergl) May 4, 2017
So. Many. White. Men. Taking. Away. Women's. Healthcare. pic.twitter.com/Z9hmw2XfTw
— Rebecca Katz (@RebeccaKKatz) May 4, 2017
All old, white, privileged, rich, DISGUSTING men. #RIPAmericanspic.twitter.com/7oavjSuIuc
— miranda (@MihandaBieber) May 4, 2017
@CBSNews Rich old white men patting themselves on the back for stripping millions of their healthcare, including their own constituents. Sickening.
— Sad Musketeer ⚔ (@SadMusketeer) May 4, 2017
Really admire the diversity in the Republican Party. There are straight cis white men with white hair, and at least three with brown hair. pic.twitter.com/MgTaNixk3Q
— Brianna Wu (@Spacekatgal) May 4, 2017
@ManMadeMoon A group of exclusively rich white men applaud their efforts to pass something that will primarily hurt women, minorities, and poor people.
— Tony Meade (@tonymeade) May 4, 2017
A bunch of white men are currently dancing and singing about undoing the accomplishment of a black man (which also happens to kill people)
— Pé Resists (@4everNeverTrump) May 4, 2017
White women were even targeted in the takedown and were blamed for electing Trump to begin with.
Your daily reminder that 53% of white women voted for this.
— Reverend Dr. Fleming (@alwaystheself) May 4, 2017
Want to know how powerful a drug White Supremacy is?
White women just voted to have the birth of their children uncovered by insurance.
— (((Baba Adeptus))) (@adept2u) May 4, 2017
If you are woman in America the Gov't doesn't think you deserve to live. White women did this. 53%. America is disgusting. Always has been.
— Shantira Jackson (@tira_son) May 4, 2017
So... the white women who voted for Trump but now won't be able to get coverage because their C-section is a pre-existing condition... pic.twitter.com/zKEiP0VZ6C
— April (@ReignOfApril) May 4, 2017
it's a good day to remember that 53% of white women were so full of hatred for POC/queer ppl that they HAPPILY walked into this death trap
— ASYA (@communistbabe) May 4, 2017
WHITE WOMEN GAVE US TRUMP WHITE WOMEN GAVE US TRUMP WHITE WOMEN GAVE US TRUMP WHITE WOMEN GAVE US TRUMP WHITE WOMEN GAVE US TRUMP WHITE WOME
— Chief (@saychieeef) May 4, 2017