Working with Democrats means new political risks for Trump

After an unsuccessful attempt to work with House Republican leaders to repeal Obamacare, President Trump is now widely expected to pursue Democratic votes on other priorities, a decision that carries its own risks of failure and possible increased tensions within the party he is trying to lead.

Since the ill-fated American Health Care Act was pulled from consideration Friday, Trump's spokesmen have talked more about working with Democrats. The president himself has alternated between blaming Democrats for the problems with Obamacare and enlisting their help in fixing them.

"Yes, I think the president will push for an agenda that is more in line with what he hopes to accomplish — initiatives like tax reform and infrastructure investment," said Michael DuHaime, a Republican strategist. "He will be more invested in the outcome and can therefore spend more time using his political capital with GOP voters to unify the disparate factions of the party and sway members of Congress."

"And there is a shot some Democrats will vote for an infrastructure bill, meaning the chance to tout a major bipartisan accomplishment," he added.

"At the Republican convention, you saw all these lobbyists saying, 'Trump will be OK because he will sign all our bills,'" said Mickey Kaus, a liberal blogger who supports the president on immigration. "And [House Speaker] Paul Ryan can't even get his own bill passed."