Trump’s deal with Democrats makes Republicans shudder

He agreed to raise debt ceiling, help Texas and keep federal government running through Dec.15

Washington — This is the Donald Trump many Republicans feared.

The president delivered a resounding victory to congressional Democrats Wednesday — and embarrassed stunned Republican leaders — when he agreed on a plan to raise the debt ceiling, provide aid to storm-ravaged Texas and keep the federal government running through Dec. 15. And he may have made it easier for Democrats to overturn his plan to kick young immigrants out of the country in six months.

Just hours before Trump and top congressional Democrats agreed on the deal at a White House meeting that included Republican leaders, House Speaker Paul Ryan had called the idea of tying storm aid to the debt limit “ridiculous and disgraceful.” Senate GOP leaders had made it clear they wanted a longer debt limit extension.

Those hopes evaporated quickly, and after the late morning White House meeting, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., reluctantly went along with the deal. But he carefully labeled it a solution “the president and the Senate and House Democratic leadership agreed to.”

Republicans have long been worried that Trump, who at times was a registered Democrat, would look to cut deals with the opposition party to secure victories — which he has had trouble achieving even with a Republican-led Congress.

Trump in recent weeks has been clearly and publicly frustrated with Republican leaders, notably McConnell. He was angry the Senate was unable to repeal Obamacare. His administration has made it clear it wanted quick action on the debt ceiling, which is expected to be reached later this month. Republican leaders had sought an 18-month extension, and later cut that to six months.

The deal, though, could reverberate further. It gives Democrats new hope for keeping so-called Dreamers in the country. On Tuesday, Trump said he would end the Obama-era Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which offers some protections to 800,000 young immigrants — Dreamers — who were brought into the country illegally as children.