It’s been a year since Donald Trump became president and he still doesn’t seem to have a handle on how legislative negotiations happen. Odd for the guy who sold himself as the world’s best dealmaker.

On Thursday morning, Trump tweeted out of what can only be called sheer ignorance over the government funding bill that must pass before Friday at midnight to prevent a government shutdown.

CHIP should be part of a long term solution, not a 30 Day, or short term, extension!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 18, 2018

Trump tweeted: “CHIP should be part of a long term solution, not a 30 Day, or short term, extension!”

Except, if Trump paid attention to what House Republican leaders are saying — and have surely explained to the White House —  CHIP’s funding in this bill is a six-year fix.

One really has to wonder what Trump was watching or who spoke to him last and told him CHIP was being fixed short-term.

Come on. King Dealmaker must understand the concept of adding a sweetener to the pot when it comes to negotiating.

Speaker Paul Ryan and House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy need to get to 218 votes for the funding bill. With Democrats threatening not to vote to keep the government open unless a solution for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients is included, Ryan and McCarthy decided adding six-years of funding for CHIP was the best way to force Democrats’ hands.

Perhaps Republican Senator John Cornyn’s appearance on Fox & Friends just after Trump’s tweet helped clarify the CHIP issue for the president since we know he watches all the time.

.@JohnCornyn: "Paul Ryan and Kevin McCarthy have to figure a way to cobble together the 218 votes. Apparently, they feel like adding this will help them get to the 218 votes."

— David Wright (@DavidWright_7) January 18, 2018