But when Trump was president, repeal was a centerpiece of his agenda. In a dramatic Senate vote in 2017, Democrats and a handful of Republicans rejected his plan to repeal Obamacare. Then-Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., cast the deciding vote by turning his thumb down with a theatrical flourish. A critic of Obamacare, McCain nonetheless concluded that the “skinny repeal” measure would leave Americans worse off than if Obamacare remained in place. Walz noted that episode Tuesday night. Trump “would have repealed [Obamacare] had it not been for the courage of John McCain,” Walz said.