'A weak president further weakened': Charles Blow says Trump's 'mirage of success' has been destroyed

The implosion of President Donald Trump's health care bill has left him badly weakened -- and New York Times columnist Charles Blow thinks that his image as a first-rate deal maker has been permanently ruined.

In his Monday column, Blow said that the entire premise of Trump's presidency was his reputation for being a master negotiator -- and that the death of Trumpcare has left "a weak president further weakened."

"The failure of Republicans to come together behind their horrible plan to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act — even though they now control both houses of Congress and the presidency — was a crushing blow to Trump’s brand," he wrote. "Legislation isn’t the same as luxury rental. Legislators are not the same as an obedient board."

Blow didn't just turn fire on Trump either, as he pointed out that the Trumpcare debacle is the logical conclusion of Republicans electing lawmakers who only want to oppose legislation at all costs.

"These people weren’t elected to govern, but to impede governance," he wrote. "Their mandate isn’t to generate ideas and solve problems by the effective exercise of government. Their singular crusade is that government is ineffective and the solution is to forever see government itself as the problem."

In his conclusion, Blow mused that the toxic relationship between Trump and his own party might very well come back to bite him -- especially if members of the House Freedom Caucus decide in the future that it's in their best interests to impeach him.