Trump Shakes Washington By Siding With Nancy Pelosi And Chuck Schumer: Is This The Foundation For His Success?

Donald Trump bucked his party this week and sided with Democrats in Washington. The 45th U.S. president, who has had a rough time in office since January, struck a deal with House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer to raise the debt limit and provide funding after Hurricane Harvey.

It was a rare moment of bipartisanship in Washington, and political experts are now mildly optimistic that more deals can happen in the future for the good of the country. The media is also very excited because Mr. Trump has given them an excellent story to tell: an independent president in an era of extreme partisanship willing to put the two political parties aside and work on behalf of the American people.

Immigration reform and tax cuts are suddenly possible. With the firing of failed screenwriter Steve Bannon and the promotion of John Kelly as chief of staff, Trump may have brought some much-needed balance and order to the White House.

Schumer is hopeful that Trump will be able to get more things done if he is willing to continue on that path. Members of the Republican Party are livid after the latest developments in Washington, but most of them are not eager to go after the president directly.

Mr. Trump is mostly unpopular around the country, but his base is loyal. Trump’s supporters have shown a willingness to look the other way and put their core beliefs aside to stand with the former reality television star.

Liberal activists remain skeptical because Trump has only embraced bipartisanship once in the past seven months. The president is also unlikely to seek common ground on things like climate change, abortion, and Obamacare.

While it is difficult to predict the future, Trump has rarely shown a strong attachment to the conservative movement, and he has been all over the map politically. If Democrats decide to bring some great deals to the table, he is likely to take them.

Trumpism is an idea based on the man himself. It is not linked to an ideology and a set of beliefs. It is about seizing opportunities and selling a great storyline on TV.

[Featured Image by Evan Vucci/AP Images]