His first deal as U.S. president exposes Donald Trump as a political dilettante. For the first time, the reality TV star has collided with democratic reality.

Donald Trump already explained to the world as a 40-year-old, in his bestseller “The Art of the Deal,” that in addition to negotiating skills, a good businessman primarily needs extreme intelligence and ingenious instinct. The author attributes both to himself in excess. The real estate mogul has cultivated no other myth in his life as much as that of being an incomparable “dealmaker.”

His first deal as U.S. president, however, exposes Trump as a political dilettante. For seven years, the Republicans have promised to repeal the hated Obama health care law. Now they have the chance to do so and fail — not due to resistance from the Democrats, but instead due to the naysayers in their own ranks. Trump was unable to sway the dissenters either with smooth negotiations or with blatant threats.

The first proposed health care law ran up against a wall. For Trump, the defeat is equal to a disaster, even if he is trying to shift the blame to others. For the first time, the reality TV star has collided with democratic reality, where throwing one’s weight around with big talk does not supersede majorities. The halo he wears for his supporters is now heavily damaged; the ability of the Republicans to govern is in doubt. Even Trump’s opponents could not have allowed themselves to dream that the populist in the White House would be debunked at such a wild speed.