President Donald Trump backed down on his plans to try to obstruct the bipartisan housing reform bill after a meeting with House Republican leadership — but on Monday, he was still noncommittal about the issue when asked by reporters, and seemed to suggest he didn't care about it at all.
"I don’t know," said the president when asked. "I think it's so unimportant compared to the Save America Act. Democrats like it. They are getting things that I wouldn’t necessarily agree to. I made a lot of money with housing."
Trump's remarks earned immediate scorn from commenters on social media — many of whom pointed out this was a poisonous message for Republicans with voters headed into the midterms.
"Congress passed a bipartisan bill to lower housing costs. Trump: I think it’s so unimportant," wrote Rep. Greg Landsman (D-OH).
"Trump thinks housing affordability is 'unimportant,'" wrote Rep. Yassamin Ansari (D-AZ).
"Trump says housing relief is unimportant compared to his desire to make voting harder," wrote the Patriot Takes account.
"A fake election fraud bill is more important than having somewhere to live. Good to know!" wrote Fox News commentator Jessica Tarlov.
"He is making the midterms pretty easy for us," wrote Chamber of Progress economics analysis director Tahra Hoops.
Oliver Weilein, a city councilor for Iowa City, went more scorched earth. "A petulant, coddled child who’s never had to experience hardship, never known how he’s gonna pay for rent or food, forcing that reality on working families who struggle to make ends meet as leverage to pass an election-rigging bill to stay in power," he wrote.