President Donald Trump, having defeated those striving to tar him with colluding with the Russian government to win the White House, was expected to devote all his energy to a long, needling victory lap. Instead, he quickly plunged back into an old battle, picking a fight with Democrats on an issue in which they've consistently outpolled him _ and he is doing so with no weapons, no plan, no clear goal and few allies.
Trump's Justice Department now wants a federal appeals court to strike down the Affordable Care Act in its entirety. Until Monday, the Justice Department had defended much of what remained of the ACA after Congress repealed the fine imposed for refusing to buy insurance. While the administration always argued that the end of the fine should mean the end of the mandate for individuals to carry coverage and the key provision that insurers must cover pre-existing conditions, the federal government is now siding with Republican state governors to overturn the entire law.
The new stance startled and dismayed Trump's closest allies in Congress, and was opposed by some of the strongest forces in his Cabinet.
