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Republican Rep. Jason Chaffetz sparked fury online Tuesday after saying Americans may have to choose between buying a new iPhone and health insurance yet the criticism glossed over similar remarks made by then-President Barack Obama.

Chaffetz was speaking after House Republicans revealed their plan to replace ObamaCare. Responding to claims the plan doesnt guarantee access to care for low-income Americans, he said:

"Well, we're getting rid of the individual mandate. We're getting rid of those things that people said that they don't want. ... Americans have choices, and they've got to make a choice. So rather than getting that new iPhone that they just love and want to go spend hundreds of dollars on that, maybe they should invest in their own health care.

Chaffetzs remarks to CNN sparked a firestorm on social media as iPhones quickly became a top trending topic, as did TrumpCare.

The controversy was widely reported, with some outlets expressing outrage at the congressmans comments.

The Washington Posts Philip Bump wrote that Chaffetzs comment revives the poverty is a choice argument." Meanwhile, Slate declared: GOPs most embarrassing Congressman strikes again while Yahoo Newswent so far as to break down the exact cost of an iPhone, both for a Verizon contract and an AT&T contract, to compare the cost to health insurance.

Yet left unsaid was that Obama made similar comments in 2014. In a town hall meeting with Spanish-language outlets, Obama was asked about a man who had written in saying he still couldnt afford insurance.

In a lengthy answer, Obama speculated about someone making $40,000-$50,000 a year, who thinks an insurance option that costs $300 a month is too much.

I guess what I would say is if you looked at that persons budget and you looked at their cable bill, their telephone cell phone bill, other things that theyre spending on, it may turn out that they just havent prioritized health care because right now everybody is healthy," he said.

Nobody actually wants to spend money on health insurance until they get sick, he added.

Chaffetz later clarified his comments on Fox News "Americas Newsroom," and conceded he didnt make his remarks as smoothly as he could.

"What we're trying to say -- and maybe I didn't say it as smoothly as I possibly could -- but people need to make a conscious choice and I believe in self-reliance," he said. "And they're going to have to make those decisions."

Adam Shaw is a Politics Reporter and occasional Opinion writer for FoxNews.com. He can be reached here or on Twitter: @AdamShawNY.

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Chaffetz hit for iPhone vs. health care comment but Obama made same argument - Fox News

President Barack Obama speaks during a naturalization ceremony at the National Archives in Washington, Tuesday, Dec. 15, 2015.(Photo: Evan Vucci, AP)

Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson caused a stir Monday when he referred to slaves as "immigrants" but he wasn't the first person to do that.

In December 2015, then-President Obama made similar comments during a naturalization ceremony at the National Archives.

The president did not specifically say "slaves" during his speech, but instead mentioned "those of African heritage who had not come here voluntarily" who "in their own way were immigrants themselves."

The full quote, per the Obama administration's archives:

"And perhaps, like some of you, these new arrivals might have had some moments of doubt, wondering if they had made a mistake in leaving everything and everyone they ever knew behind. So life in America was not always easy. It wasnt always easy for new immigrants. Certainly it wasnt easy for those of African heritage who had not come here voluntarily, and yet in their own way were immigrants themselves. There was discrimination and hardship and poverty. But, like you, they no doubt found inspiration in all those who had come before them. And they were able to muster faith that, here in America, they might build a better life and give their children something more."

The similarities between Carson's comments and Obama's speech were first reported by Breitbart News.

Watch Obama's speech here. The section mentioned above begins at 5:56:

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Obama also referred to slaves as 'immigrants' - USA TODAY

New York Post

Fishermen sue Trump over monument Obama created New York Post A commercial fishing coalition is reportedly suing the Trump administration over a massive marine monument that was created by President Obama off the coast of New England last year. The fishermen claim that the president's designation of the Northeast ... and more »

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Fishermen sue Trump over monument Obama created - New York Post

Trump tweeted his thoughts on the relationship between the Obama administration and Russia ahead of the hearing for Rod Rosenstein, in which the deputy attorney general nominee was grilled on how he would handle the investigation intoRussia's meddlingin the U.S. presidential campaign.

Trump's comment was the latest in a string of tweets attacking Obama that beganSaturday morning, when Trump claimed , without citing evidence, that Obama wiretapped his phones during the 2016 election.

It came as Trump attempted to dispel rumors about his own administration's relations with Russia.

Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions announced the weekbefore that he would recuse himself from any investigations involving alleged Russian interference in the fall campaign after Justice Department officials disclosed he had met twice with the Russian ambassador to the U.S. despite having told Congress in January that he had engaged in no such contacts.

And Trumps first national security advisor, Michael Flynn, resigned when it emerged that he had misled Vice President Mike Pence about the nature of a conversation he had with the Russian ambassador.

Democrats have pressed for the Justice Department to appoint a special prosecutor to investigate the allegations of Russian interference and any potential ties Moscow may have had to the Trump campaign.

But Rosenstein sidestepped those calls during his confirmation hearing, testifying that he didnt know enough about the probe to make such a pledge.

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Trump says Russia 'ran over' Obama - Los Angeles Times

New York Times

A Trump-Obama 'Duel' on Fox News? New York Times In my fantasy, former President Barack Obama challenges President Trump to meet him on the set of Fox News at noon and demands that Mr. Trump present the factual basis for his allegation that Mr. Obama wiretapped him. Mr. Obama would then have the ...

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A Trump-Obama 'Duel' on Fox News? - New York Times