Why Trump Will Find It Hard to Pivot From Bigotry to Bipartisanship

Since President Donald Trump has taken so many positions that align more closely with the typical elected Democrat than the typical elected Republican—skepticism of free trade, support for massive federal infrastructure spending, comfort with a single-payer healthcare system—why can’t the president, who promised to practice “the art of the deal,” advance his agenda by garnering some Democratic votes in Congress, enabling him to bypass the staunchly anti-compromise House Freedom Caucus?

Several pundits have raised that question lately, knowing many of the voters who propelled Trump to power wouldn’t be averse to breaks with Tea Party orthodoxy. “Trump's best bet for a badly needed win to help rebuild his ‘winning’ image may well come by working with the other party,” Clarence Page argued in the Chicago Tribune.

And the White House itself has pondered that course.

Reince Priebus, Trump’s chief of staff, who previously led the Republican National Committee, told Chris Wallace on Fox News Sunday, "I think it's time for our folks to come to that the White House would like to attract support from the Congressional Black Caucus.