Rebuke to Trump

The Trump Bannon healthcare bill was ignored by the House.  Trump blames that on the Democrats which is absurd since, with almost unique power in the House, Senate, and of course the executive branch, his slippery party had the bill in their hands.  It failed.  Republicans on the right and left of center picked at the bill.  The real story --- Trump rushed the process without gaining a consensus within his own party.  He was arrogantly overconfident that as President he could do anything he wanted.  His party was like the dog that caught the car.

Here this is welcome.  His proposed bill was hostile to the poor and disadvantaged, and perhaps even more so to much of the "middle class" that he talked about in his campaign.  It was a bad bill, trying to address an existing bill that needed some overhaul but by no means extinction.  While anything that he puts forth will likely be somewhere in the range of "bad", he outdid himself in not even being supported in his own party.

Trying to save face, and maybe with someone intelligent advising him, he will move to infrastructure development and tax reduction.  His armor with a heavy dent, he needs a win on something.  If he and his advisers have any sense, they will start with infrastructure in a bipartisan way, and slowly so he can build support in his own constituency with the mantra that bridges, road, airports, etc.   represent new good paying jobs.

To be sure, there is a concern here about how a man with such a thin skin and need for approval will react to such a public defeat.  Almost everything that Trump does is negative, and if this even goes sideways that would be a relief.  If he chooses revenge that could be unfortunate.  His mind-minder Bannon is a nihilist who will work to dismantle as much as possible, and from his perspective this is another opportunity.

Trump is not capable of being a constructive President.  That will not change.