"I'm not hospitalized," a Senate Republican tweeted on Wednesday afternoon, following President Donald Trump's repeated comments that the reason the GOP-led health care bill could not secure enough votes was partly because, according to Trump, a senator was in the hospital.
"With one Yes vote in hospital & very positive signs from Alaska and two others (McCain is out), we have the HCare Vote, but not for Friday!" the president tweeted Wednesday morning.
With one Yes vote in hospital & very positive signs from Alaska and two others (McCain is out), we have the HCare Vote, but not for Friday!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 27, 2017
It's almost entirely unclear who Trump has been referring to, considering there aren't any senators in the hospital. It was reported that he may have been talking about Sen. Thad Cochran, R-Miss.
Reporters were quick to point out that Trump had made these claims, even though they aren't true.
"Trump just said on six occasions a senator can't vote because he is in the hospital. No one is known to be in the hospital," Politico's White House reporter Josh Dawsey tweeted.
Trump just said on six occasions a senator can't vote because he is in the hospital. No one is known to be in the hospital.
— Josh Dawsey (@jdawsey1) September 27, 2017
On Wednesday afternoon, Cochran tweeted that he was indeed recovering, but from his home in Mississippi, not a hospital.
"Thanks for the well-wishes. I'm not hospitalized, but am recuperating at home in Mississippi and look forward to returning to work soon," Cochran tweeted.
Thanks for the well-wishes. I'm not hospitalized, but am recuperating at home in Mississippi and look forward to returning to work soon. — Senator Thad Cochran (@SenThadCochran) September 27, 2017
But later on Wednesday afternoon Trump continued his baseless claims.
"He can't vote because he's in the hospital," Trump said, according to USA Today. "We have two other votes that are coming and we will have them, but the problem is we can't have them by Friday because reconciliation ends on Friday. So we'll have to do it in January or February."
Later, Trump told a Fox News reporter that a Republican senator was in the hospital. Trump was not corrected.
Trump (at 1:20) repeats the claim that a Republican senator is in the hospital. There's no senator in the hospital. pic.twitter.com/uKIIdlXDPw
— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) September 28, 2017
Louisiana Republican Rep. Steve Scalise, who was shot during a congressional baseball practice, was hospitalized — he returned Thursday to Congress — but he is a member of the House of Representatives and not the Senate.
Trump has not issued a correction statement or indicated that he may have misspoke.
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