- 9 hours ago ... The fate of Donald Trump's presidency may hinge on what he does next.
- 8 hours ago ... The fate of Donald Trump's presidency may hinge on what he does next.
- 8 hours ago ... PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP NEWS & LIVE SPEECH 2017 34,683 views. New · 1:33:14. Trump's Plan to Fix Health Care System - Duration: ...
- How Trump's health care loss will shape his presidency. WASHINGTON (CNN) – The fate of Donald Trump's presidency may hinge on what he does next. His ...White House moves on from health care failure 02:23
Story highlights
- Trump was forced to admit defeat Friday on health care
- His reaction was more muted than some expected
Washington (CNN)The fate of Donald Trump's presidency may hinge on what he does next.His failure to convert the core campaign promise of repealing and replacing Obamacare -- even with a GOP monopoly on power in Washington -- has left the White House reeling.Trump and his advisers must now regroup and try to figure out how to avoid another legislative debacle on their next big issue, tax reform. They will do so knowing that a second failure could throttle his presidency.Once, Trump's aides viewed health care reform, presumably an easy early win, as a way to deliver momentum to his presidency and to build toward more sweeping change picked from his ambitious agenda.But the effort's ignominious defeat Friday has severely weakened the President, electrified Democrats and left Trump's declarations that he is the ultimate dealmaker who can change Washington looking increasingly hollow.Trump surprised some of those close to him with his reaction to Friday's health care collapse. He did not vent or rage. Instead in the Oval Office afterward Trump was "sullen and quiet" as he contemplated his first blow, dealt by the Washington swamp he had vowed to drain, one insider source said.The President was well aware he failed to deliver on an issue that stirs the passions of his political base. He was also mindful that the health care disaster would make his quest to tackle a behemoth tax package that much more difficult, the source said.Indeed, the early failure means that hundreds of billions of dollars in federal savings that the White House had earmarked to bankroll a tax code overhaul are nowhere to be seen."It makes everything harder moving forward," one Trump adviser said.Another senior administration official told CNN's Gloria Borger that tax reform could now have to be a "smaller version," than originally planned and the problem would be explaining to the public that because the repeal of Obamacare didn't happen, there's "a trillion dollars less to deal with."Already casting an eye toward the midterm elections, which typically hurt the President's own party, some of Trump's advisers fear Obamacare's underdog survival will provide a rallying point for their political foes."Democrats will feel emboldened and their base will feel emboldened," a senior administration official said.Washington wins
As the White House grasps for a bounce back strategy, his team must take another look at one of the most important questions that Trump faced when he took power, one lent more urgency by his humiliation over health care.They must consider whether his brand as an outsider -- with broad strokes politics that exacerbates grievances, has little time for dissenters and is anchored around his imposing, unpredictable personality -- can actually prosper in Washington.Ironically, it was the same forces of inertia and division in the capital that soured Trump's voters on the political establishment and helped elevate him to power that combined to defeat him in his first legislative venture."I think what happened is that Washington won," said Trump's budget director Mick Mulvaney, in a frank moment Sunday on NBC's "Meet the Press.""I think the one thing we learned this week is that Washington was a lot more broken than President Trump thought that it was," said Mulvaney, adding "the status quo wins and, unfortunately, the folks back home lost."Mulvaney's comments marked a stunning admission, given that he works for a President who brashly predicted he knew politics better than the politicians and would soon bring the city to heel with his negotiating flair and mastery of sealing a deal.Instead, two-thirds of the way through his crucial First 100 days, Trump is nowhere near any significant legislative victory. And health care reform's failure is not his only problem. His travel ban on citizens on a list of predominantly Muslim nations has twice been turned back by the courts. His budget, which features steep cuts in diplomacy spending to finance an increase for the military, is facing stiff resistance in Congress. A building intrigue over his campaign's ties to Russia is clouding the White House's mood.It now appears that the most tangible success of Trump's first months in office will be the expected confirmation of his Supreme Court pick, Judge Neil Gorsuch -- though even that will further polarize Washington. Republicans are vowing to invoke the "nuclear option" by changing Senate rules so that Gorsuch can be confirmed with 51 votes, along party lines, rather than with the super-majority traditionally required for nominees to the nation's top bench.In one sense, it should not be surprising that Trump is struggling. He is the most inexperienced new president in history, and lacks the political networks and insider contacts that most commanders-in-chief take for granted when they take office.Capitol Hill sources report that the President appeared unfamiliar with the in-depth details of the health care bill, as he tried to move votes in meetings with holdout Republican lawmakers.And while his predecessor, Barack Obama, spent months marshaling Obamacare through Congress, Trump tried to ram through the repeal bill in a matter of weeks.That was part of a White House strategy to get a fast start in the First 100 Days to create a shock-and-awe sense of momentum. But the tactic appears to have backfired -- especially in the case of Obamacare and the travel ban where too little time was spent assessing the political and legal complexities and framing a coherent strategy.Political capital spent?
And some polls showing Trump's approval rating dipping below 40% have undercut the leverage of a new presidency, making it tougher still to drive ambitious bills into law.There are still plenty of whispers about the fractious nature of the West Wing itself. Stories of rivalry and infighting have been proliferating since the start of the election -- apparently owing to Trump's habit of setting up rival centers of influence in his own operation to create chaos in which he believes he can thrive.If the President "wanted to end the infighting, he could end it," a senior administration official told CNN's Borger. And amid rumors that Chief of Staff Reince Priebus could pay the price for health care reform's failure with his job, the source said that if the Wisconsin Republican is in trouble "it's because of reasons other than health care. Things are not run very smoothly."
Photos: Trump's nominees and their confirmation hearingsSecretary of the Treasury – Mnuchin arrives for his confirmation hearing in January. Mnuchin, a former Goldman Sachs banker, faced policy questions about taxes, the debt ceiling and banking regulation.Hide Caption20 of 38Photos: Trump's nominees and their confirmation hearingsSecretary of Health and Human Services – Pence shakes hands with Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price -- who was accompanied by his wife, Betty -- after a swearing-in ceremony on Friday, February 10. Price, a former congressman from Georgia, was confirmed 52-47 in a middle-of-the-night vote along party lines.Hide Caption21 of 38Photos: Trump's nominees and their confirmation hearingsSecretary of Health and Human Services – Price testifies at his confirmation hearing in January. Price confronted accusations of investing in companies related to his legislative work in Congress -- and in some cases, repealing financial benefits from those investments. Price firmly denied any wrongdoing and insisted that he has taken steps to avoid any conflicts of interests.Hide Caption22 of 38Photos: Trump's nominees and their confirmation hearingsAttorney General – Trump watches as Pence administers the oath of office to Attorney General Jeff Sessions in the White House Oval Office on Thursday, February 9. Sessions, one of Trump's closest advisers and his earliest supporter in the Senate, was confirmed by a 52-47 vote that was mostly along party lines. He was accompanied to the swearing-in by his wife, Mary.Hide Caption23 of 38Photos: Trump's nominees and their confirmation hearingsAttorney General – In his wide-ranging confirmation hearing, Sessions pledged to recuse himself from all investigations involving Hillary Clinton based on inflammatory comments he made during a "contentious" campaign season. He also defended his views of the Supreme Court's Roe v. Wade ruling on abortion, saying he doesn't agree with it but would respect it.Hide Caption24 of 38Photos: Trump's nominees and their confirmation hearingsSecretary of Education – Pence swears in Education Secretary Betsy DeVos next to her husband, Dick, on Tuesday, February 7. Pence cast a historic tie-breaking vote to confirm DeVos after the Senate was divided 50-50.Hide Caption25 of 38Photos: Trump's nominees and their confirmation hearingsSecretary of Education – DeVos, a top Republican donor and school-choice activist, prepares to testify at her confirmation hearing in January. DeVos stood firm in her long-held beliefs that parents -- not the government -- should be able to choose where to send children to school, pledging to push voucher programs if she was confirmed.Hide Caption26 of 38Photos: Trump's nominees and their confirmation hearingsSecretary of State – Trump watches as Pence swears in Rex Tillerson as secretary of state on Wednesday, February 1. Tillerson's wife, Renda St. Clair, holds the Bible. Tillerson, a former CEO of ExxonMobil, was confirmed in the Senate by a vote of 56 to 43.Hide Caption27 of 38Photos: Trump's nominees and their confirmation hearingsSecretary of State – Tillerson testifies during his confirmation hearing in Washington. He drew a sharp line between his views and those of his future boss, denouncing Russian aggression in cyberspace and in Ukraine.Hide Caption28 of 38Photos: Trump's nominees and their confirmation hearingsSecretary of Transportation – Elaine Chao, Trump's pick for transportation secretary, signs the affidavit of appointment during her swearing-in ceremony in Washington on Tuesday, January 31. Chao is joined, from left, by Pence; her father, James Chao; and her husband, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.Hide Caption29 of 38Photos: Trump's nominees and their confirmation hearingsSecretary of Transportation – Chao testifies at her confirmation hearing in January. Chao, who was approved by a 93-6 vote, was deputy secretary of transportation under George H.W. Bush and labor secretary under George W. Bush.Hide Caption30 of 38Photos: Trump's nominees and their confirmation hearingsUN Ambassador – South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley takes the oath of office as she becomes the US Ambassador to the United Nations on Wednesday, January 25. She is joined by US Sen. Marco Rubio and staffer Rebecca Schimsa as she is sworn in by the vice president.Hide Caption31 of 38Photos: Trump's nominees and their confirmation hearingsUN Ambassador – During her confirmation hearing, Haley rapped the UN for its treatment of Israel and indicated that she thinks the US should reconsider its contribution of 22% of the annual budget. "The UN and its specialized agencies have had numerous successes," Haley said. "However, any honest assessment also finds an institution that is often at odds with American national interests and American taxpayers. ... I will take an outsider's look at the institution."Hide Caption32 of 38Photos: Trump's nominees and their confirmation hearingsCIA Director – Mike Pompeo is joined by his wife, Susan, as he is sworn in as CIA director on Monday, January 23. Pompeo, who is vacating his seat in the US House, was confirmed by the Senate in a 66-32 vote.Hide Caption33 of 38Photos: Trump's nominees and their confirmation hearingsCIA Director – Pompeo is sworn in at his confirmation hearing. Along with Russia, Pompeo said other global threats include Iran's growing influence in the Middle East, ISIS' grip over major urban areas, and the conflict in Syria.Hide Caption34 of 38Photos: Trump's nominees and their confirmation hearingsSecretary of Defense – Retired Marine Gen. James Mattis, President Trump's pick for defense secretary, is sworn in after being confirmed by a 98-1 vote on Friday, January 20.Hide Caption35 of 38Photos: Trump's nominees and their confirmation hearingsSecretary of Defense – Mattis testifies before the Senate Armed Services Committee. He emerged from his confirmation hearing with broad support after he took a strong posture against Russian President Vladimir Putin and answered tough questions on women and gays in combat.Hide Caption36 of 38Photos: Trump's nominees and their confirmation hearingsSecretary of Homeland Security – Retired Marine Gen. John Kelly signs his confirmation letter on January 20. He is joined by his wife, Karen.Hide Caption37 of 38Photos: Trump's nominees and their confirmation hearingsSecretary of Homeland Security – Kelly testifies at his hearing. He was previously the head of US Southern Command, which is responsible for all military activities in South America and Central America.Hide Caption38 of 38
Photos: Trump's nominees and their confirmation hearingsDirector of National Intelligence – Vice President Mike Pence, right, administers the oath of office to Dan Coats, the new director of national intelligence, on Thursday, March 16. Coats was accompanied by his wife, Marsha. He was confirmed by the Senate the day before.Hide Caption1 of 38Photos: Trump's nominees and their confirmation hearingsDirector of National Intelligence – Coats speaks on Capitol Hill before his confirmation hearing in February. The former US senator from Indiana was the US ambassador to Germany in the first term of George W. Bush's administration.Hide Caption2 of 38Photos: Trump's nominees and their confirmation hearingsSecretary of Energy – New Energy Secretary Rick Perry speaks at his swearing-in ceremony in Washington on Thursday, March 2. The former Texas governor was confirmed by a Senate vote of 62-37.Hide Caption3 of 38Photos: Trump's nominees and their confirmation hearingsSecretary of Energy – Perry is sworn in before his confirmation hearing in January. During his testimony, Perry cast himself as an advocate for a range of energy sources, noting that he presided over the nation's leading energy-producing state. He also said he regrets once calling for the Energy Department's elimination.Hide Caption4 of 38Photos: Trump's nominees and their confirmation hearingsSecretary of Housing and Urban Development – Ben Carson is joined by his wife, Candy, and his granddaughter Tesora as he is sworn in as the secretary of housing and urban development on March 2. The renowned neurosurgeon and former presidential candidate was confirmed by a vote of 58-41.Hide Caption5 of 38Photos: Trump's nominees and their confirmation hearingsSecretary of Housing and Urban Development – Carson greets Tesora prior to testifying before the Senate Committee of Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs in January. In his opening statement, he noted that he was raised by a single mother who had a "third-grade education" and made the case that he understands the issues facing the millions of people who rely on HUD programs.Hide Caption6 of 38Photos: Trump's nominees and their confirmation hearingsSecretary of the Interior – New Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke signs an official document after he was confirmed by the Senate on Wednesday, March 1. The former congressman from Montana was joined by his wife, Lolita, as well as Vice President Mike Pence, US Sen. Steve Daines and Montana Attorney General Tim Fox.Hide Caption7 of 38Photos: Trump's nominees and their confirmation hearingsSecretary of the Interior – Zinke, a former Navy SEAL, is sworn in before his confirmation hearing in January. He pledged to review Obama administration actions that limit oil and gas drilling in Alaska, and he said he does not believe climate change is a hoax.Hide Caption8 of 38Photos: Trump's nominees and their confirmation hearingsSecretary of Commerce – Pence swears in new Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross as Ross' wife, Hilary, stands by on Tuesday, February 28. The billionaire was confirmed by the Senate by a vote of 72-27.Hide Caption9 of 38Photos: Trump's nominees and their confirmation hearingsSecretary of Commerce – Ross, center, waits to be introduced by US Sen. Marco Rubio, right, at his confirmation hearing in January. At the hearing, Ross said he wants countries that resort to "malicious" trading tactics to be "severely" punished. He pointed the finger at China, which he called "the most protectionist country of very large countries."Hide Caption10 of 38Photos: Trump's nominees and their confirmation hearingsAdministrator, Environmental Protection Agency – Supreme Court justice Samuel Alito swears in Scott Pruitt as the new administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency on Friday, February 17. Holding the Bible is Pruitt's wife, Marlyn, and they were joined by their son, Cade. Pruitt, the former attorney general of Oklahoma, was confirmed by the Senate 52-46.Hide Caption11 of 38Photos: Trump's nominees and their confirmation hearingsAdministrator, Environmental Protection Agency – Pruitt testifies at his confirmation hearing in January. Pruitt said he doesn't believe climate change is a hoax, but he didn't indicate he would take swift action to address environmental issues that may contribute to climate change. He said there is still debate over how to respond.Hide Caption12 of 38Photos: Trump's nominees and their confirmation hearingsDirector, Office of Management and Budget – Pence shakes hands with Mick Mulvaney after swearing him in as the new director of the Office of Management and Budget on Thursday, February 16. Mulvaney's wife, Pam, looks on. Mulvaney had been a congressman since 2011.Hide Caption13 of 38Photos: Trump's nominees and their confirmation hearingsDirector, Office of Management and Budget – Mulvaney testifies before the Senate Budget Committee in January. He didn't back off his views that entitlement programs need revamping to survive -- and he didn't back away from some of his past statements on the matter. President Donald Trump, during his campaign, pledged not to touch Social Security or Medicare.Hide Caption14 of 38Photos: Trump's nominees and their confirmation hearingsAdministrator, Small Business Administration – Linda McMahon is joined by her six grandchildren as she is sworn in as chief of the Small Business Administration on Tuesday, February 14. McMahon, the former CEO of World Wrestling Entertainment, was confirmed by a vote of 81-19.Hide Caption15 of 38Photos: Trump's nominees and their confirmation hearingsAdministrator, Small Business Administration – McMahon speaks during her confirmation hearing. She stepped down from her WWE duties in 2009 and ran for the Senate in 2010 and 2012.Hide Caption16 of 38Photos: Trump's nominees and their confirmation hearingsSecretary of Veterans Affairs – Pence watches David Shulkin, the new secretary of the Veterans Affairs Department, speak at his swearing-in ceremony on February 14. Shulkin was confirmed by a unanimous vote in the Senate.Hide Caption17 of 38Photos: Trump's nominees and their confirmation hearingsSecretary of Veterans Affairs – Shulkin speaks at his confirmation hearing. He was the VA's undersecretary for health, a position in which he oversaw more than 1,700 health care sites across the United States.Hide Caption18 of 38Photos: Trump's nominees and their confirmation hearingsSecretary of the Treasury – Trump watches as Steven Mnuchin is sworn in as treasury secretary on Monday, February 13. The Senate vote was 53-47, mostly along party lines.Hide Caption19 of 38Photos: Trump's nominees and their confirmation hearingsSecretary of the Treasury – Mnuchin arrives for his confirmation hearing in January. Mnuchin, a former Goldman Sachs banker, faced policy questions about taxes, the debt ceiling and banking regulation.Hide Caption20 of 38Photos: Trump's nominees and their confirmation hearingsSecretary of Health and Human Services – Pence shakes hands with Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price -- who was accompanied by his wife, Betty -- after a swearing-in ceremony on Friday, February 10. Price, a former congressman from Georgia, was confirmed 52-47 in a middle-of-the-night vote along party lines.Hide Caption21 of 38Photos: Trump's nominees and their confirmation hearingsSecretary of Health and Human Services – Price testifies at his confirmation hearing in January. Price confronted accusations of investing in companies related to his legislative work in Congress -- and in some cases, repealing financial benefits from those investments. Price firmly denied any wrongdoing and insisted that he has taken steps to avoid any conflicts of interests.Hide Caption22 of 38Photos: Trump's nominees and their confirmation hearingsAttorney General – Trump watches as Pence administers the oath of office to Attorney General Jeff Sessions in the White House Oval Office on Thursday, February 9. Sessions, one of Trump's closest advisers and his earliest supporter in the Senate, was confirmed by a 52-47 vote that was mostly along party lines. He was accompanied to the swearing-in by his wife, Mary.Hide Caption23 of 38Photos: Trump's nominees and their confirmation hearingsAttorney General – In his wide-ranging confirmation hearing, Sessions pledged to recuse himself from all investigations involving Hillary Clinton based on inflammatory comments he made during a "contentious" campaign season. He also defended his views of the Supreme Court's Roe v. Wade ruling on abortion, saying he doesn't agree with it but would respect it.Hide Caption24 of 38Photos: Trump's nominees and their confirmation hearingsSecretary of Education – Pence swears in Education Secretary Betsy DeVos next to her husband, Dick, on Tuesday, February 7. Pence cast a historic tie-breaking vote to confirm DeVos after the Senate was divided 50-50.Hide Caption25 of 38Photos: Trump's nominees and their confirmation hearingsSecretary of Education – DeVos, a top Republican donor and school-choice activist, prepares to testify at her confirmation hearing in January. DeVos stood firm in her long-held beliefs that parents -- not the government -- should be able to choose where to send children to school, pledging to push voucher programs if she was confirmed.Hide Caption26 of 38Photos: Trump's nominees and their confirmation hearingsSecretary of State – Trump watches as Pence swears in Rex Tillerson as secretary of state on Wednesday, February 1. Tillerson's wife, Renda St. Clair, holds the Bible. Tillerson, a former CEO of ExxonMobil, was confirmed in the Senate by a vote of 56 to 43.Hide Caption27 of 38Photos: Trump's nominees and their confirmation hearingsSecretary of State – Tillerson testifies during his confirmation hearing in Washington. He drew a sharp line between his views and those of his future boss, denouncing Russian aggression in cyberspace and in Ukraine.Hide Caption28 of 38Photos: Trump's nominees and their confirmation hearingsSecretary of Transportation – Elaine Chao, Trump's pick for transportation secretary, signs the affidavit of appointment during her swearing-in ceremony in Washington on Tuesday, January 31. Chao is joined, from left, by Pence; her father, James Chao; and her husband, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.Hide Caption29 of 38Photos: Trump's nominees and their confirmation hearingsSecretary of Transportation – Chao testifies at her confirmation hearing in January. Chao, who was approved by a 93-6 vote, was deputy secretary of transportation under George H.W. Bush and labor secretary under George W. Bush.Hide Caption30 of 38Photos: Trump's nominees and their confirmation hearingsUN Ambassador – South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley takes the oath of office as she becomes the US Ambassador to the United Nations on Wednesday, January 25. She is joined by US Sen. Marco Rubio and staffer Rebecca Schimsa as she is sworn in by the vice president.Hide Caption31 of 38Photos: Trump's nominees and their confirmation hearingsUN Ambassador – During her confirmation hearing, Haley rapped the UN for its treatment of Israel and indicated that she thinks the US should reconsider its contribution of 22% of the annual budget. "The UN and its specialized agencies have had numerous successes," Haley said. "However, any honest assessment also finds an institution that is often at odds with American national interests and American taxpayers. ... I will take an outsider's look at the institution."Hide Caption32 of 38Photos: Trump's nominees and their confirmation hearingsCIA Director – Mike Pompeo is joined by his wife, Susan, as he is sworn in as CIA director on Monday, January 23. Pompeo, who is vacating his seat in the US House, was confirmed by the Senate in a 66-32 vote.Hide Caption33 of 38Photos: Trump's nominees and their confirmation hearingsCIA Director – Pompeo is sworn in at his confirmation hearing. Along with Russia, Pompeo said other global threats include Iran's growing influence in the Middle East, ISIS' grip over major urban areas, and the conflict in Syria.Hide Caption34 of 38Photos: Trump's nominees and their confirmation hearingsSecretary of Defense – Retired Marine Gen. James Mattis, President Trump's pick for defense secretary, is sworn in after being confirmed by a 98-1 vote on Friday, January 20.Hide Caption35 of 38Photos: Trump's nominees and their confirmation hearingsSecretary of Defense – Mattis testifies before the Senate Armed Services Committee. He emerged from his confirmation hearing with broad support after he took a strong posture against Russian President Vladimir Putin and answered tough questions on women and gays in combat.Hide Caption36 of 38Photos: Trump's nominees and their confirmation hearingsSecretary of Homeland Security – Retired Marine Gen. John Kelly signs his confirmation letter on January 20. He is joined by his wife, Karen.Hide Caption37 of 38Photos: Trump's nominees and their confirmation hearingsSecretary of Homeland Security – Kelly testifies at his hearing. He was previously the head of US Southern Command, which is responsible for all military activities in South America and Central America.Hide Caption38 of 38Photos: Trump's nominees and their confirmation hearingsDirector of National Intelligence – Vice President Mike Pence, right, administers the oath of office to Dan Coats, the new director of national intelligence, on Thursday, March 16. Coats was accompanied by his wife, Marsha. He was confirmed by the Senate the day before.Hide Caption1 of 38Photos: Trump's nominees and their confirmation hearingsDirector of National Intelligence – Coats speaks on Capitol Hill before his confirmation hearing in February. The former US senator from Indiana was the US ambassador to Germany in the first term of George W. Bush's administration.Hide Caption2 of 38Photos: Trump's nominees and their confirmation hearingsSecretary of Energy – New Energy Secretary Rick Perry speaks at his swearing-in ceremony in Washington on Thursday, March 2. The former Texas governor was confirmed by a Senate vote of 62-37.Hide Caption3 of 38Photos: Trump's nominees and their confirmation hearingsSecretary of Energy – Perry is sworn in before his confirmation hearing in January. During his testimony, Perry cast himself as an advocate for a range of energy sources, noting that he presided over the nation's leading energy-producing state. He also said he regrets once calling for the Energy Department's elimination.Hide Caption4 of 38Photos: Trump's nominees and their confirmation hearingsSecretary of Housing and Urban Development – Ben Carson is joined by his wife, Candy, and his granddaughter Tesora as he is sworn in as the secretary of housing and urban development on March 2. The renowned neurosurgeon and former presidential candidate was confirmed by a vote of 58-41.Hide Caption5 of 38Photos: Trump's nominees and their confirmation hearingsSecretary of Housing and Urban Development – Carson greets Tesora prior to testifying before the Senate Committee of Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs in January. In his opening statement, he noted that he was raised by a single mother who had a "third-grade education" and made the case that he understands the issues facing the millions of people who rely on HUD programs.Hide Caption6 of 38Photos: Trump's nominees and their confirmation hearingsSecretary of the Interior – New Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke signs an official document after he was confirmed by the Senate on Wednesday, March 1. The former congressman from Montana was joined by his wife, Lolita, as well as Vice President Mike Pence, US Sen. Steve Daines and Montana Attorney General Tim Fox.Hide Caption7 of 38Photos: Trump's nominees and their confirmation hearingsSecretary of the Interior – Zinke, a former Navy SEAL, is sworn in before his confirmation hearing in January. He pledged to review Obama administration actions that limit oil and gas drilling in Alaska, and he said he does not believe climate change is a hoax.Hide Caption8 of 38Photos: Trump's nominees and their confirmation hearingsSecretary of Commerce – Pence swears in new Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross as Ross' wife, Hilary, stands by on Tuesday, February 28. The billionaire was confirmed by the Senate by a vote of 72-27.Hide Caption9 of 38Photos: Trump's nominees and their confirmation hearingsSecretary of Commerce – Ross, center, waits to be introduced by US Sen. Marco Rubio, right, at his confirmation hearing in January. At the hearing, Ross said he wants countries that resort to "malicious" trading tactics to be "severely" punished. He pointed the finger at China, which he called "the most protectionist country of very large countries."Hide Caption10 of 38Photos: Trump's nominees and their confirmation hearingsAdministrator, Environmental Protection Agency – Supreme Court justice Samuel Alito swears in Scott Pruitt as the new administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency on Friday, February 17. Holding the Bible is Pruitt's wife, Marlyn, and they were joined by their son, Cade. Pruitt, the former attorney general of Oklahoma, was confirmed by the Senate 52-46.Hide Caption11 of 38Photos: Trump's nominees and their confirmation hearingsAdministrator, Environmental Protection Agency – Pruitt testifies at his confirmation hearing in January. Pruitt said he doesn't believe climate change is a hoax, but he didn't indicate he would take swift action to address environmental issues that may contribute to climate change. He said there is still debate over how to respond.Hide Caption12 of 38Photos: Trump's nominees and their confirmation hearingsDirector, Office of Management and Budget – Pence shakes hands with Mick Mulvaney after swearing him in as the new director of the Office of Management and Budget on Thursday, February 16. Mulvaney's wife, Pam, looks on. Mulvaney had been a congressman since 2011.Hide Caption13 of 38Photos: Trump's nominees and their confirmation hearingsDirector, Office of Management and Budget – Mulvaney testifies before the Senate Budget Committee in January. He didn't back off his views that entitlement programs need revamping to survive -- and he didn't back away from some of his past statements on the matter. President Donald Trump, during his campaign, pledged not to touch Social Security or Medicare.Hide Caption14 of 38Photos: Trump's nominees and their confirmation hearingsAdministrator, Small Business Administration – Linda McMahon is joined by her six grandchildren as she is sworn in as chief of the Small Business Administration on Tuesday, February 14. McMahon, the former CEO of World Wrestling Entertainment, was confirmed by a vote of 81-19.Hide Caption15 of 38Photos: Trump's nominees and their confirmation hearingsAdministrator, Small Business Administration – McMahon speaks during her confirmation hearing. She stepped down from her WWE duties in 2009 and ran for the Senate in 2010 and 2012.Hide Caption16 of 38Photos: Trump's nominees and their confirmation hearingsSecretary of Veterans Affairs – Pence watches David Shulkin, the new secretary of the Veterans Affairs Department, speak at his swearing-in ceremony on February 14. Shulkin was confirmed by a unanimous vote in the Senate.Hide Caption17 of 38Photos: Trump's nominees and their confirmation hearingsSecretary of Veterans Affairs – Shulkin speaks at his confirmation hearing. He was the VA's undersecretary for health, a position in which he oversaw more than 1,700 health care sites across the United States.Hide Caption18 of 38Photos: Trump's nominees and their confirmation hearingsSecretary of the Treasury – Trump watches as Steven Mnuchin is sworn in as treasury secretary on Monday, February 13. The Senate vote was 53-47, mostly along party lines.Hide Caption19 of 38
But there's plenty of blame to go around.Once again, the fractious Republican coalition seems unsuited for government, as House Speaker Paul Ryan remarked himself on Friday.And while some on Trump's team may look to blame the intransigent Freedom Caucus or Ryan's insistence in pushing a brand of conservative reform that seems an odd fit for Trump's ideological coalition, the President's team knows it must up its game and embrace a more inclusive, strategic approach in his next legislative fight.Two senior administration officials acknowledged to CNN that the White House should have made earlier appeals to outside conservative groups and taken a bigger role in driving the strategy to sell the health care bill -- rather than play a supporting role to House GOP leaders -- from the outset."Going forward you're going to see the White House play a more active role on the front end in terms of language and strategy out of the gate," one of the officials said.Priebus meanwhile went out of his way on Sunday to smooth over any suggestion that Trump and Ryan were at odds, after rumblings to that effect from administration officials and Capitol Hill Republicans in anonymous accounts on Friday."He talked to Paul Ryan yesterday for about an hour. He believes what he said in the Oval Office on Friday. He doesn't blame Paul Ryan," Priebus said on "Fox News Sunday."Incredibly, after Trump spent months demonizing Washington and playing up its dysfunctional nature, and chief strategist Steve Bannon's spent extensive time spent fueling GOP infighting as head of Breitbart News, Trump's team still seems to have underestimated the treacherous political forces that simmer below its surface.A second senior administration official conceded that the White House underestimated "how deep the animosity is in the Republican conference," believing that the pledge to repeal and replace Obamacare would outweigh the fine points that stirred factional rivalries."It's more poisonous than at any point," the official said, adding that Republicans' ability to mend fences internally may define whether the White House is successful in its subsequent attempts at major legislation like tax reform and an infrastructure bill.Democrats rising
Democrats, some of whom Trump will need to pass a tax overhaul, are already feeling emboldened by Republicans' failure to work in lockstep to repeal President Barack Obama's proudest achievement. It may be that the drama of the last few days has given the party the sense of purpose that has been lacking as shell-shocked Democrats try to move past Hillary Clinton's defeat in November."Today is a great day for our country, it's a victory -- what happened on the floor is a victory for the American people, for our seniors, for people with disabilities, for our children, for our veterans," said House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi. "Quite frankly, I thought they might have accomplished something in the first couple of months."Trump blamed Democrats Friday for his failure to pass the health care bill -- an odd tactic since Republicans dominate Congress. But he also signaled he was willing to work with them on subsequent legislation -- including a potential attempt to save Obamacare, which the President insists is "imploding."But it seems just as likely that if his presidency continues to struggle, Democrats will see little political imperative to help out a Republican president who has maligned Obama and made little attempt to enroll them in the first health care reform effort.Of course, 66 days is too soon to judge a four-year presidential term, but it's clear that Trump cannot afford a repeat of the disastrous Obamacare drama as he moves to his next big legislative battles.Whether Trump is prepared to soberly analyze what went wrong, and hold himself as accountable as those around him in his White House and Capitol Hill will go a long way to deciding whether his reeling presidency can make a comeback.So far, his CEO brand of leadership appears to be less effective in the political arena than it had been in the boardroom.But it's not too late.Rep. Lee Zeldin, R-New York, said on CNN's "State of the Union" Sunday: "I think that he's going to learn an awful lot from this experience."
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