WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump took aim at a fellow Republican who opposes his healthcare reform plan Wednesday, in a bid to squash dissent that presents a major test to his presidential punch.
After years of Republican efforts to rip up Barack Obama's emblematic healthcare law, it remains unclear whether Trump has enough support to get his replacement across the finish line, even with Republicans controlling both chambers of Congress.
Trump singled out one dissenter -- Kentucky senator and former presidential primary rival Rand Paul -- in a tweet, and he is finalizing plans to travel to the lawmaker's home state on Saturday.
"I feel sure that my friend @RandPaul will come along with the new and great health care program because he knows Obamacare is a disaster!" Trump tweeted.
Despite the cordial tone, Trump's message is being seen as a clear warning to Republicans who may be thinking about opposing his policies.
Republicans on Capitol Hill have long feared Trump's wrath, working on the assumption that presidential opprobrium on Twitter could lead to political headaches.
The president -- despite low national approval ratings -- is the most popular Republican in many states and congressional districts.
Paul garnered 57 percent of the vote during his re-election last year. Trump won the state with 63 percent of the vote. Paul is up for reelection in 2022.
"On a purely ideological level, Donald Trump is probably the better fit with Kentucky than Rand Paul's libertarian republicanism," said Stephen Voss, a professor of political science at the University of Kentucky.
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