Why Trump Could Keep Making Deals With Democrats

President Donald Trump’s surprise decision to accept a Democratic debt-limit deal offered by Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi drew a strangely consistent response from both Democrats and Republicans. By and large, they declared it a one-off deal that doesn’t herald any likelihood of further bipartisan cooperation down the line. Nothing to see here, folks—move along.

Partisans of each stripe had their reasons for rushing to minimize the significance of the deal. Republicans don’t want to admit they’ve been sold down the river by a president who cares little about advancing conservative causes. Having endured countless indignities in supporting Trump in hopes that he’d advance their agenda, they aren’t ready to accept their president’s willingness to torch their bargaining leverage and take up the other side’s priorities.