President Obama on Jonathan Gruber: He’s ‘Some Adviser Who Never Worked on Our Staff’

Melissa Quinn / November 16, 2014

In an attempt to distance himself from Jonathan Gruber, President Obama is downplaying the Obamacare architect’s role in the crafting of his signature health care law.

During a press conference at the G20 summit in Brisbane, Australia, Obama said Gruber was “some adviser who never worked on our staff.”

Over the last week, six videos have surfaced of Gruber, one of the key architects of Obamacare, discussing how Senate Democrats and the Obama administration manipulated the language of the Affordable Care Act to secure its passage. In some of the videos, Gruber insults the American people, calling them “stupid.”

Gruber, however, visited the White House more than a dozen times, according to official visitor logs. One of those meetings took place in the Oval Office with Obama. Additionally, according to contracts issued by the Department of Health and Human Services, Gruber was paid $400,000 for his work on the president’s signature health care law.

>>> Fifth Video Emerges, Showing Gruber Mocking Man Worried About Obamacare