Trump's debt limit decision reopens rift with Hill conservatives

President Trump’s decision on Wednesday to side with the Democratic leaders advocating a short-term increase in the nation’s debt limit rankled Republicans in Congress and ripped open old wounds with conservatives who opposed him during the primaries.

Many Republican lawmakers and aides expressed a sense of shock and feelings of frustration on Wednesday with Trump’s sudden overture to the Democrats. Some pointed to the decision as proof that the president has little personal commitment to the fiscal conservatism he spouted on the campaign trail. This in turn raised questions about how effectively the White House can marshal support for its tax reform plan from the same GOP members whose wishes Trump ignored in the debt ceiling fight.