Republicans are shifting their focus this week after a plan to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act fell short of a vote on Friday, despite the White House’s best efforts to convince skeptical Republicans and members of the House Freedom Caucus to support the bill.
President Trump pointed the finger at a number of parties -- Democrats, the House Freedom Caucus, Paul Ryan, the Koch Brothers -- and says that his administration will now turn to tax reform.
President Trump also tapped his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, to lead a task force (or SWAT team as it’s been called internally) that aims to help fix the government by taking ideas from the business world. It raises questions about the use of private sector values in the public sector. Kushner also made news by agreeing to appear before the Senate panel investigating connections between Russia and the Trump campaign during the 2016 election.
Here in California, pushing and shoving led punches being thrown at a pro-Trump rally in Huntington Beach this past weekend.
Guests:
Paris Dennard, Republican political analyst and former staffer for President George W. Bush and the Republican National Committee; he tweets @PARISDENNARD
Matt Rodriguez, Democratic strategist and founder and chief executive officer of Rodriguez Strategies. He is also a former senior Obama advisor in 2008; he tweets @RodStrategies