But Trump’s effort was plagued from the beginning. The bill itself would have violated a number of Trump’s campaign promises, driving up premiums for millions of citizens and throwing millions more off health insurance — including many of the working-class voters who gravitated to his call to “make America great again.” Trump was unsure about the American Health Care Act, though he ultimately dug in for the win, as he put it.

There were other problems, too. Trump never made a real effort to reach out to Democrats, and was unable to pressure enough of his fellow Republicans. He did not speak fluently about bill’s details and focused his pitch in purely transactional terms. And he failed to appreciate the importance of replacing Obamacare to the Republican base; for the president, it was an obstacle to move past to get to taxes, trade and the rest of his agenda.

In a press conference I heard some of on the car radio, Trump blamed the Dems, praised Paul Ryan and Tom Price, and said exactly nothing about health care other than repeating his insistence Obama Care would implode.

Big Failure for Donald Trump. The first of many, I'm sure. As for those saying this was his worst week, I'd remind them he has yet to have a good day, let alone a good week. Courts have rejected his major immigration order, his first military raid in Yemen resulted in an American death, and everybody sees Russia from his window.

Jared Kushner got to miss most of Trump's desperation this week, as he left Monday night to join his wife and kids in Aspen and only returned to work today. Although he spent only two and a half days in Aspen, returning last night, CNN reports Trump was angry he left. A Trump spokesman denied it.

Meanwhile, back in Washington, Trump was fuming. According to a source close to the president, "[Trump] is upset that his son-in-law and senior adviser was not around during this crucial week."

...It has not been entirely clear what specific role Kushner, who has no Capitol Hill or Washington background, would have played in a legislative effort.

What difference would his lack of legislative or policy experience make to Trump, who thinks Jared is qualified to bring a peace accord to the Middle East?

At least the plane mystery is cleared up. The Trump kids flew to Aspen on Trump's private 757 plane (which his son Donald called Trump Force One), not Air Force One or a government plane.

When Ivanka and the kids took off for Aspen last weekend, sharing a ride on Trump's private 757 jet with Donald Trump, Jr. and his family and Eric and Lara Trump, Jared did stay behind in Washington

Trump or Pence seem to have some future Vail/Aspen trips planned however, as the Air Force was back at Eagle County Airport this week practicing their 757 maneuvers "for all things presidential." It turns out, Air Force One is not a plane at all, it's just a call sign:

Also, those aircraft are not actually Air Force One unless the president is on board. It’s not Air Force Two unless the vice president is on board, [airport manager Alex]Everman said. Air Force One is not a plane; it’s a call sign the Air Force uses when POTUS is on board.

Finally, who made Ivanka's sunglasses? The Daily Mail says they are Raybans ("Almost as eye-catching as her colorful top were the $510 high-waisted wide-legged patchwork jeans by Sonia Rykiel worn by the first daughter, who finished off the look with some iridescent Ray Bans...") while CNN says they are by Dior and cost $585. I'll go with Dior Technoglogic, in gold, for $585 (which I think look great on her.) (Added: The Daily Mail has now updated their article to include an ad for the Dior Technologic sunglasses, so I guess they realize they are not "Ray Bans").

I think Ivanka looks better wearing other designer's clothes than her own, which I'm not a fan of. She's recently hired a new stylist to revamp her wardrobe for her new duties in the White House (whatever they are) who hopefully will steer her away from her own designs. The stylist has great taste and I look forward to seeing a more polished look from Ivanka than the dresses and shoes in her own line.

Here's Vanity Fair on Jared and Ivanka's predictable absence from Washington this week.

And yes, with three kids, they brought their Nanny to Aspen. You can see her in this photo from the Daily Mail. They've had a Chinese nanny (who teaches Arabella Mandarin) since Arabella was born. Here is a 2012 interview with Ivanka on the topic. "My daughter is studying Mandarin; I have an incredible Chinese nanny who's teaching her." Vogue Magazine spent a day with Ivanka in 2015 and reported her name is XiXi. Here's Ivanka and a nanny in 2011, and Ivanka, Jared, Arabella and a nanny in 2015. I have no idea if they are the same woman. But rest assured, despite the dozens of photos showing just Ivanka and Jared with their kids and secret service, traveling to Aspen with three children, including an infant too young to ski, is not something they are likely to do without at least one nanny in tow.

The Kushners' Washington neighbors are now royally p*ssed off at Secret Service presence on their block. They point out this isn't to protect a President, but a rented house for Trump's adult children:

“Are you kidding me?” asked Marti Robinson, a trial attorney who lives across the street. “This is the adult child of the president. Sometimes there are 10 cars out here.”

Metal barricades along Tracy Place and Kalorama Road now make it impossible for pedestrians to use the sidewalk bordering the house. Neighbors talk of clusters of Secret Service agents lingering on the pavement, conversing in loud voices and even changing their shirts in public view.

“They’ve completely taken over the whole street — as if they have the authority!” said Robinson, an Obama appointee to the U.S. Product Safety Commission. In her own email to the mayor, Robinson wrote that the Secret Service encampment “has truly ruined my peaceful enjoyment of my house.”

Also today, Planned Parenthood zinged Ivanka for not speaking out in defense of women's health care and against Trump's failed health care bill, which would have defunded Planned Parenthood.

In any event, I'm hardly surprised the health bill failed. I didn't take it as a serious threat the day it was introduced, and nothing's changed my mind. Trump is not the successful closer he thinks he is. He failed big-time, and as is so characteristic of him, can't even accept any blame. It's always someone else's fault.

Which is why this thread is as much about Trump's kids and their trip to Aspen and their clothes and nannies as the failed bill. Failure was predictable and the bill's defeat just isn't very interesting to me, since it wasn't a real threat to begin with. I'm far more interested in how much protecting Trump's adult kids costs, and how despite their lack of one iota of domestic or foreign policy experience, he is asking them to guide him in running the country. How pathetic.