Trump working both sides

Is this the Trump people voted for last November?

It probably depends on which day’s soundbite or tweet you are listening to or reading.

Earlier this week it appeared DACA was on its way to becoming law. President Donald Trump dined with Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi and Senator Chuck Schumer at the White House and talked about immigration. That they met apparently isn’t up for debate, but the outcome is.

Following the meeting, Democrats were happy to report that a DACA deal was struck, which did not sit well with Republicans and Trump faithful, who had cheered mightily at every campaign stop when Trump talked of building a wall between the U.S. and Mexico and removing DACA, Obama’s program that protects 800,000 people in the U.S. illegally who came here as children.

The following day, Republican leadership was out telling anyone that would listen that there is no deal.

House Speaker Paul Ryan was quoted saying he personally talked with President Trump and his chief of staff and that it was simply a discussion, not a negotiation or agreement.

Still, pretty telling that Ryan and Senate Majority Leader Mitch Mcconnell were left on the sidelines.

Understandably, Republicans and Trump voters have to be thinking this is not what we signed up for.

After all, Trump looked to be making good on one of his campaign promises, when earlier this month his administration announced it would let DACA expire in six months.

The move upset people on both sides, but it put the onus squarely on the shoulders of the Republicans in Congress to get something done. Trump’s dinner with Pelosi and Schumer comes on the heels of the President bypassing Republicans to strike a deal with Democratic congressional leadership to increase the debt ceiling and finance the government until middecember.

Whether these are shrewd, calculated moves by Trump remains to be seen.

We are just glad to see some movement on the issues.

This was supposed to be the Republicans time to shine and push through a conservative agenda as they controlled the presidency, the Senate and the House. But nothing has really changed, and the election-cycle clock continues to tick-tock, tick-tock.