WASHINGTON: Donald Trump on Sunday squarely blamed his Republican party’s ultra-conservative wing for the most stinging defeat of his young presidency, holding it responsible for the failed attempt to repeal Obamacare in a way that may signal bruising battles ahead over taxes and spending.

In a Twitter message, the US president not only faulted the hardline Freedom Caucus and two other influential conservative groups for the stunning setback, he suggested they had weakened efforts to curb abortions, a touchstone conservative cause.

“Democrats are smiling in D.C. that the Freedom Caucus, with the help of Club For Growth and Heritage, have saved Planned Parenthood & Ocare!” he tweeted early on Sunday, two days after he and Republican leaders cancelled a House vote on repealing Obamacare that was headed for failure. After a day of sober stock-taking and a flurry of behind-the-scenes consultations over lessons learned from the embarrassing setback, Trump appeared to be returning Sunday to his customary bravado.

His frontal attack on the Freedom Caucus and the other groups cast a sharp light on the intra-party tensions that seem sure to flare up as Trump turns now to other key priorities like tax reform and a big infrastructure spending plan.

Analysts say he will have to work with the small but determined Freedom Caucus — or find a way to work around it, most likely by forging coalitions with Democrats, who for now seem little disposed to cooperate.

The health care loss was a devastating early setback for Trump that could cast a long shadow over his presidency.

Published in Dawn, March 27th, 2017