How Trump can avoid a GOP fumble on health care that could derail his reelection

It is often said that defense wins games, but offense wins elections.

Donald Trump stayed on offense in 2016 and willed himself to an improbable White House win. But the limits of his offensive skills and connection to working-class America were exposed during the 2018 elections, when congressional Republicans failed to muster anything close to Trump’s tireless campaigning and massive rallies. Instead, they left the party playing defense on the winning issue of the election: health care.

For Republicans to win up and down the ticket in 2020, the White House and congressional GOP must fix this failure. They must be on offense to win the battle of health care ideas.

Right now, the Grand Old Party is driving its latest health care train toward a ledge, rushing to release a plan early this fall, crafted by conservative academics and establishment policy wonks far removed from the 63 million everyday Americans who put Trump in office. It’s not too late to tap the brakes and reset the compass.

My reporting suggests there is a better approach — one for, by and of the people.