Trump 'threatens' Senator who opposed healthcare bill while sitting next to him in televised meeting

All Republican efforts to repeal and replace Obamacare have failed

President Donald Trump gestures towards Senator Dean Heller while speaking during a luncheon (AP)

Donald Trump appears to have threatened a Republican senator who said he would vote against the Senate leadership’s healthcare bill.

At a White House lunch with Republicans – part of the President’s last-ditch attempt to save the party’s Obamacare overhaul efforts – Mr Trump turned to Dean Heller and seemed to suggest that either he vote for the bill or risk losing his seat in the Senate.

“[You were] the one we were worried about. You weren’t there. You’re going to be,” Mr Trump said, then telling the rest of the room, “He wants to remain a senator, doesn’t he?”

It is unclear how much the President was joking.

Mr Trump continued as Mr Heller’s smile began to look a bit uncomfortable: “I think the people of your state – which I know very well – I think they’re going to appreciate what you hopefully will do.”

The President concluded with what could be seen as a word of warning to Republican holdouts: “Any senator who votes against starting debate is really telling America that you’re fine with Obamacare.”

Mr Heller represents the swing-state Nevada and is up for reelection in 2018. Last month, almost immediately after he announced that he could not support the first version of the Senate’s healthcare bill, a Trump-aligned super PAC – America First Policies – announced an ad campaign slamming Mr Heller for the decision.

But after strong reactions criticising the effort, the group pulled its ads after just 12 hours.

About 20 million people gained health insurance coverage through Obamacare. But Republicans say that it has driven up premiums and forced consumers to buy insurance they do not want and cannot afford.

However, despite consistent criticism of the law, Republicans have been unable to agree on what a suitable replacement should look like. Mr Heller was one of many who voiced opposition to the first iteration of the healthcare bill, forcing Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and other leaders to attempt to develop a measure that would appease more members.

With a majority of 52 senators in a 100-member chamber, Mr McConnell could only afford to lose two ‘yea’ votes. No Democrats were expected to support the legislation.

But the leader’s efforts to gain more support for his bill have proven to be unsuccessful. Almost immediately after he released a second version of the legislation, Senators Susan Collins of Maine, a moderate, and Rand Paul of Kentucky, a conservative, said they would vote against beginning debate on the measure.

Then, while Mr Trump was at a dinner with some Republican senators on Monday night, two additional members: Jerry Moran of Kansas and Mike Lee of Utah also declared that they would oppose the measure, effectively killing the bill.

“The other night I was surprised when I heard a couple of my friends—my friends, they really were and are. They might not be very much longer, but that’s okay. I think I have to get them back,” Mr Trump said on Monday to laughter in the room.

After it became clear that he did not have the votes to pass a bill that would both repeal and replace Obamacare, Mr McConnell said the Senate would soon vote to take up a measure that would just repeal major parts of the law, without an immediate replacement.

But that proposal already appears to be dead – with three senators voicing their opposition to it – even though Mr McConnell appears to still be moving forward with his latest plan.

“Sometime in the near future we will have a vote on the repeal of Obamacare,” Mr McConnell said. Republicans skeptical of the plan for an Obamacare overhaul are expected to meet on Wednesday evening to try to hash out their differences.