President Trump gets crash course on the art of the deal — in Washington

WASHINGTON — President Trump is getting a crash course in the art of the deal. In politics.

The New York real estate magnate has been working the phones, convening meetings with key lawmakers and even threatening some.

"He was on the phone last night well into the 11 o'clock hour," press secretary Sean Spicer said Thursday.

But his first foray in legislative horse-trading missed the mark, and House Republican leaders delayed a planned vote on legislation to largely repeal and replace Obamacare on the seventh anniversary of its signing. They did not announce when it would be held.

Spicer said the meetings and phone calls with Trump, Vice President Pence and other administration officials would continue.

"I anticipate that we will get there," he said. "We continue to make progress."

One of the key sticking points, he said, was on provisions some Republicans want added to the American Health Care Act before they will support it.

As it stands, the bill replaces large swaths of the Affordable Care Act, including requirements that individuals maintain insurance at all times and that larger companies provide it to employees.

But it keeps intact provisions that allow children to stay on their parents’ plans until age 26 and that prohibit insurance companies from denying coverage based on pre-existing conditions. It also doesn't repeal requirements that insurance cover certain preventive health benefits.

Some conservative Republicans worry those mandates have driven up premiums and want them eliminated. That includes members of the influential Freedom Caucus who met with Trump at the White House on Thursday.

"We have not gotten enough of our members to get to' yes' at this point," said Mark Meadows, R-N.C., who chairs the caucus, which has roughly three dozen members.

Facing unanimous opposition from Democrats, Trump can only afford to lose 22 Republicans if he wants to notch a win in the House. But if he gives in to Freedom Caucus demands, that could mean losing the support of moderate Republicans, several of whom have already suggested they are voting no.

Meadows said that as of Thursday evening, between 30 and 40 Republicans opposed the current version of the legislation.