Realizing just how much is at stake in Thursday Trumpcare vote, which could set back his domestic policies for months, and even delay his tax reform into 2018 should it not pass, Trump went on the offensive in his visit to the Capitol on Tuesday seeking to "whip" republicans, especially the Freedom Caucus, to vote for his healthcare plan. In typical fashion, Trump was quite direct and issued a stern warning, telling Republicans they could "lose their seats" and the House majority, in 2018 if they fail to repeal and replace ObamaCare, GOP sources said quoted by The Hill and Axios.

During a closed-door meeting in the basement of the Capitol, Trump told rank-and-file House Republicans if the party is not successful in passing its health care bill, "I believe many of you will lose in 2018," according to a source in the room.

To be sure, passing the House is just the first hurdle: should the American Health Care Act pass the Thursday, it will then head to the Senate, where it faces an even tougher road.

For now, however, Trump is focused on the House. His visit to Capitol Hill was billed as a rally for the healthcare bill, just two days before the historic vote to roll back President Obama’s signature domestic achievement. But the gathering took on a darker tone.

The president told lawmakers a failed vote would be embarrassing to the party and could result in members facing primary challengers and Republicans losing the House, sources said.

Here, Trump singled out Freedom Caucus Chairman Mark Meadows, a Trump ally during the presidential campaign who opposes the legislation.

Trump asked Meadows to stand and then talked about how Meadows supported his campaign early, adding he expects Meadows to support the Republican Obamacare replacement bill in the end. Trump then directly "threatened" the biggest hurdle to Trumpcare in the House:“I think Mark Meadows will get there too,” Trump told the Freedom Caucus chairman, half-joking. “Mark, I’m coming after you.”

Rep. Mark Meadows, R-N.C., chair of the House Freedom Caucus

As Axios adds, in a press gaggle after the meeting, Rep. Bill Flores said Trump was "half joking" in his comments. It is unclear what the other "half" was.

In any case, the (non) threat appears to have failed: when Meadows emerged from the meeting, he said he was still a "no" on the bill, adding that he didn't anticipate any Freedom Caucus members would change their vote.

Without the Freedom Caucus' vote, Trumpcare has no chance of passing the House, and may be the catalyst that finally unleashes all the pent up market concerns that Trump's domestic policy will be indefinitely delayed, if not derailed outright.

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Finally, as Bloomberg notes, Republicans remained still split after Trump's visit to the Capitol. Rep. Peter King, asked if the bill can pass, replied “I don’t know. It’s going to be close.” Bloomberg also confirmed that resistance from the Freedom Caucus, which had said it had enough votes to kill the measure, appears to be holding, with Rep. Jim Jordan, saying he’s “still a no,” as is Rep. Mo Brooks, R-Ala.; Rep. Gary Palmer, R-Ala., who flipped support to yes late last week, says other members aren’t there for the measure and are still negotiating.



