Jason Riley: Trade bill a 'failure of presidential leadership'

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Riley on trade: 'failure of presidential leadership'

Jason Riley told viewers on 'Special Report with Bret Baier' that Friday's House vote, led by Democrats, that delivered a stinging blow to President Obama's trade agenda, is the president's own fault.

"This is a failure of presidential leadership," said the columnist for The Wall Street Journal and Fox News contributor.

"This is a president who rules by executive authority, executive action. He has spent six years putting Congress at arm's length...and it came back to bite him on this trade issue."

"The politics of trade require a president to build a coalition, build a consensus from the center out. You're going to lose progressives on the left. You're going to lost protectionists on the right. But you have to use persuasion, argument," Riley said.