Senate Republicans are grumbling that President Trump undercut their strategy for ending the government shutdown when he said that he’s willing to cut “the right deal” with Democrats on health care.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) scheduled three votes this week on a House-passed bill to reopen the government and keep it funded through Nov. 21 but failed to pick up any additional Democratic votes for the measure.

Some Republican senators worry Trump’s remarks convinced many Democrats the president will eventually make significant concessions.

One Republican senator who requested anonymity to avoid angering Trump said that the president’s comments about being open to a “deal” with Democrats had “muddied” the Republican shutdown strategy.

“He just muddied the waters for sure,” said the lawmaker.

The Republican senator said that Trump floating a possible deal on the expiring Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies gave Democrats the false impression that their blockade of a House-passed government funding bill is putting pressure on the president.

“They think we’re wobbling,” the senator added, who noted that Trump tried to walk back his comments.

“It doesn’t help this week,” the lawmaker added of Trump’s efforts to walk back his remarks, explaining the comments boosted Democratic morale.

Other Republican senators voiced similar frustrations with what they saw as Trump’s lack of message discipline on the shutdown.

“It was an opening” for Democrats, said a second Republican senator who requested anonymity to discuss the internal Republican tensions caused by Trump’s comments. This Republican added that Trump is actually not under pressure to do a deal.

A third GOP senator said Trump undermined Thune’s and Speaker Mike........

© The Hill