The Note: The aftermath of the failed health care push

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March 27, 2017

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The aftermath of the failed health care push

The Big Story

President Trump is coming off of a week where he lost both credibility and control. He also lost something that is harder to define and may be harder to restore: the mystique of power. Since November, even Trump's harshest critics had to recognize his political talents, which show in two ways: The seemingly unbreakable connection and communications link he has with a loyal block of voters, and the deal-making skills that grew his brand all the way to the presidency. But the Republicans who opposed the health care bill showed they neither fear nor love the president. That turns the question to the consequences: In the Trump playbook, look for a power move – something that goes beyond tweets and executive orders. If we're ever going to be tired of all the winning, the Trump White House needs some victories as attention turns to tax reform and other big agenda items.

The Sleeper Story

After a civil war comes reconstruction. But where does Trump go to build coalitions again? In the aftermath of Friday's devastating fail, the president has attacked Democrats, conservatives in the House Freedom Caucus, and – obliquely and oddly, through a recommendation to watch a certain news show – House Speaker Paul Ryan. Even if the president's tweet to watch Fox News was a coincidence and not meant to hit Ryan, Breitbart and Twitter are taking care of that piece of the blame for him. Trump needs some dance partners moving forward, and there are signals that the same people who just beat him on health care are wary of teaming up with him again. The Freedom Caucus already lost one of its members in the aftermath. And the group's chairman, Rep. Mark Meadows, said on ABC's "This Week" that he's prepared to have "a lot of flexibility" in tackling tax reform. The president can find willing partners out there, if he looks and resists the urge to tweet at them.

The Shiny Story

Here comes Jared to save the day. The announcement Monday that Jared Kushner will head up the new White House Office of American Innovation gives Trump's son-in-law a broad mission that includes smashing through bureaucracies and fulfilling campaign promises on everything from veterans' care to opioid abuse. Maybe this task force will surprise. But it's not the first time the Trump White House - barely two months in - has trotted out a new initiative designed to both streamline government and keep the president himself on track. It's also in keeping with deploying Kushner as a signal to Wall Street allies of serious people in control. It could be that the Trump White House needs an internal SWAT team to keep it moving in the right direction. It could also be that this new team draws friendly fire.

TLDR

The White House is turning the page by moving on to tax reform and other big promises, but how does the president act now that his ability to make deals has been undermined?