President trumped by opponents

It is hard to see where the increasingly-chaotic Donald Trump administration turns after defeat on one of the President’s key election pledges. As Republican candidate, Trump promised he would sweep away so-called Obamacare “immediately”.

He and his supporters staked their reputations on the removal of the – in some quarters – hated “socialist” healthcare system set up under his predecessor.

By the narrowest of margins, the Senate refused to back measures to repeal the system. Crucially, a trio of Republicans joined with their Democrat counterparts to defeat their own President’s desires by just two votes.

Among them was Senator John McCain, a man subjected to cruel barbs by Mr Trump who said he was not a war hero as he had been captured by the enemy.

Suffering brain cancer, the Arizona 80-year-old ensured he was in Washington to serve up his revenge, if such it was.

It is the latest setback for the American President and his solution – to let current provision “implode” before picking up the pieces – is as childish as it is impractical.

This is more than a mere distracting sideshow for observers on this side of the Atlantic.

With post-Brexit European trade deal talks on hold, the UK Government is casting its net worldwide for alternatives and the US should have been a key partner.

Such chaos in the White House does not help at a time when the UK is also seeking some certainty.