The Note: Trump's ready to make a deal

— -- TRUMP’S FIRST 100 DAYS with ABC’s RICK KLEIN and SHUSHANNAH WALSHE

Day No. 69

THE BIG STORY: After the wipeout, President Trump is ready to make a deal. That’s what he told senators Tuesday night, adding that he had “no doubt” that a deal on health care would be an “easy one” and “happen very quickly.” If he’s serious – and honestly, nobody knows if he is – there is a path emerging to cut a deal that includes Democrats. The only problem is it would cost him big league with his own party, and would have him operating, essentially, as a president who doesn’t have control of Congress. As some lawmakers, including Sen. Chuck Schumer, have outlined, working with Democrats would require first taking repeal of Obamacare off the table. Then it would mean going small – finding different coalitions to take on different chunks of health care reform. If this doesn’t sound Trumpian, it certainly doesn’t sound like the inclinations of those he’s surrounded himself with in the Trump White House. As for Capitol Hill, House Majority Whip Steve Scalise on Tuesday declared that “the resolve of our conference to repeal Obamacare and replace it has never been stronger.” So there’s that. But Trump may be the right man to make this kind of move – one that might bring him closer to his personal political inclinations than his hard-right start would suggest.

THE SLEEPER STORY: Last week was an epic fail for Trump and his party, but this week is continuing to show progress. The executive branch is moving quickly on environmental and immigration issues. . President Trump even got a new bill to sign into law on Tuesday, one that didn’t get much attention as it moved through the House and Senate. But the overturning of Internet privacy protections that were just put in place by the Obama administration last year could easily become bigger over time. Republicans voted to allow Internet service providers to collect personal and browsing information about their users – essentially allowing Verizon and Comcast to compete with Google and Facebook in the targeted online advertising world. Maybe consumers won’t notice, or won’t care. But, with net neutrality rules likely to change next, and other FCC moves on deck, the nature of the Internet could be changing under GOP control of Washington.

THE SHINY STORY: Tuesday’s White House briefing brought us the press secretary criticizing the body language of a reporter he said had an “agenda,” as well as this memorable Sean Spicer quip: “If the president puts Russian salad dressing on his salad tonight, somehow that's a Russian connection.” As for the president himself, he’s back with his tweet-obsession with the Clintons and John Podesta. It is what it looks like it is: a distraction. The fact is that, with new – and real -- connections emerging still (hello, Jared Kushner and the Russian banker), the oversight process in the House is all but dead. The White House is mixed up with the committee and who will be permitted to testify in front of it. “You’re going to have to take no for an answer,” Spicer told the reporter, April Ryan, that he tangled with Tuesday. The problem, for now, is getting answers at all.

TLDR: Maybe the president isn't willing to give up on health care after all, but he faces a choice of abandoning his party’s goal of full Obamacare repeal if he wants to get Democrats to the negotiating table.

PHOTO OF THE DAY: In this photo taken Tuesday, U.K. Prime Minister Theresa May signs the official letter to European Council President Donald Tusk, which will be hand delivered today, signaling the formal start of Britain's exit from the European Union. It will begin a two-year negotiating period, which at the end will bring the formal Brexit from the EU, but the terms will still be worked out by both sides. (Credit: Christopher Furlong/AFP/Getty Images)

NOTABLES

--TRUMP PLEDGES 'EASY' HEALTH CARE DEAL AFTER DEFEAT: After he spent weeks supporting and lobbying for a Republican-backed health care plan that ultimately collapsed last Friday, President Donald Trump told a gathering of U.S. senators Tuesday night that they were "going to make a deal on health care." When Trump broached the topic Tuesday at a White House reception for senators and their spouses, some in the room laughed before the president continued. ABC's JORDYN PHELPS and ADAM KELSEY have more: http://abcn.ws/2oeumQK

--HOUSE AND SENATE REPUBLICANS SEEM SPLIT ON HEALTH CARE FUTURE: House GOP leaders expressed confidence Tuesday morning that the party would be able to repeal and replace Obamacare after a conference meeting with members -- a total reversal just four days after pulling the plug on their first effort -- while their Senate counterparts seemed eager to abandon the issue entirely, report ABC's BENJAMIN SIEGEL and JOHN PARKINSON. House Speaker Paul Ryan said members who were reluctant to support the AHCA last week now "expressed a willingness to work on getting to yes" in Tuesday's meeting. http://abcn.ws/2nyCk8U

--PAUL RYAN SAYS DEVIN NUNES SHOULDN'T RECUSE HIMSELF FROM RUSSIA INVESTIGATION: House Speaker Paul Ryan reiterated Tuesday his solidarity with Rep. Devin Nunes, saying the Intelligence Committee chairman should continue to lead the chamber's Russia investigation, write ABC's MEGHAN KENEALLY and JOHN PARKINSON. When asked Tuesday whether he thought Nunes, R-Calif., should recuse himself and whether he knows the source of Nunes' information on alleged "incidental" collection of information about the Trump presidential campaign, Ryan said simply, "No and no." http://abcn.ws/2o27XZr

SPEED READ with ABC’s ADAM KELSEY

WHAT WE DON'T KNOW ABOUT NUNES' WHITE HOUSE GROUNDS VISIT. Both Speaker of the House Paul Ryan and Nunes himself said there would be no recusal, with Nunes saying Tuesday he has "no idea" why Democrats would call for his removal from the investigation. Nunes has not provided the answers to a few outstanding questions about his activities. ABC’s ADAM KELSEY has more: http://abcn.ws/2nutuYf

EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT HOUSE INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN DEVIN NUNES. Over the last week, California Rep. Devin Nunes has been in the national spotlight for his actions as chairman of the House Intelligence Committee. It was revealed Monday that Nunes was on White House grounds March 21 reviewing information pertaining to what he said was the legal, “incidental” collection of surveillance on President Donald Trump’s associates. ABC's VERONICA STRACQUALURSI has everything you need to know about Nunes: http://abcn.ws/2o86rpg

STATE DEPARTMENT DARKENS THE BRIEFING ROOM AGAIN AMID SEARCH FOR NEW SPOKESPERSON. Less than three weeks after resuming, the State Department has once again stopped holding press briefings while the agency searches for a new spokesperson. For at least two weeks, officials at the State Department will not hold a public briefing, according to officials with the department. After that, it is unclear if briefings will resume immediately and what form they will take, reports ABC's CONOR FINNEGAN. http://abcn.ws/2odWKlP

CHRIS CHRISTIE JOINING TRUMP EFFORT TO COMBAT OPIOIDS. New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie is set to play a role in a new White House effort to tackle the nation’s opioid epidemic, a White House official confirms to ABC News. Christie was a central figure in Trump's campaign and was the first to lead his transition team, but he was replaced with Vice President Mike Pence just days after the election, notes ABC's JORDYN PHELPS. He was also passed over for high-profile positions in Trump's administration, such as attorney general. http://abcn.ws/2nK9sez

GOVERNMENT WATCHDOG TO REVIEW MAR-A-LAGO COST AND SECURITY. A top government watchdog plans to review security procedures at President Trump's exclusive Mar-a-Lago club and whether the U.S. Treasury has received payments from profits at Trump's hotels. In a letter to Sen. Elizabeth Warren, the Government Accountability Office announced plans to investigate how classified information is protected when Trump is off White House grounds, explains ABC's BENJAMIN SIEGEL. http://abcn.ws/2o8FGkv

GYMNASTS TESTIFY BEFORE CONGRESS ABOUT SEX ABUSE CLAIMS. “They were in control of taking my dream away in a second.” That’s what Jamie Dantzscher, a former U.S. gymnastics member who won a bronze medal at the 2000 Olympics, said Tuesday of the psychological, emotional and sexual abuse she claims she suffered at the hands of some coaches and doctors with the USA Gymnastics group, the official American governing body for the sport. Dantzscher and two other gymnasts testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee, writes ABC's ALI ROGIN. http://abcn.ws/2nKao2r

WHITE HOUSE STAFF WILL SKIP CORRESPONDENTS' DINNER IN 'SOLIDARITY' WITH PRESIDENT TRUMP. President Donald Trump's staff is following the commander in chief's lead and will skip next month's White House Correspondents' Dinner, the organization announced Tuesday. "The White House informed the White House Correspondents' Association Tuesday evening that White House staff will not be attending this year's White House Correspondents' Dinner out of 'solidarity' with President Trump," WHCA president Jeff Mason wrote in a letter to members. ABC's JORDYN PHELPS and DAVID CAPLAN have more: http://abcn.ws/2owitox

HOW PRESIDENT TRUMP'S 'ENERGY INDEPENDENCE' EXECUTIVE ORDER WILL IMPACT THE CLEAN POWER PLAN. President Donald Trump signed the "Energy Independence" executive order Tuesday, requiring the review of a regulation unpopular in coal country states where he was wildly popular on election day Part of Trump's executive order will require the EPA to rewrite one of the key parts of President Barack Obama's agenda, the Clean Power Plan. ABC's MERIDITH MCGRAW explains how the order will affect the plan. http://abcn.ws/2oerVNY

CLINTON HITS TRUMP ADMINISTRATION ON GENDER DIVERSITY. Hillary Clinton condemned former rival Donald Trump Tuesday during a speech in California for the dearth of diversity in his administration and for his staff and supporters' treatment of women. ABC’s LIZ KREUTZ and ADAM KELSEY have more: http://abcn.ws/2ntjTkk

WHO’S TWEETING?

@rickklein: "Not at all" tense between Christie and Jared Kushner. "That stuff is ancient history... Jared and I get along just great." @GMA

@mkraju: Trump's approval at 40 percent, while Paul Ryan's is at 33 percent, CBS poll says http://www.cbsnews.com/news/republicans-health-care-trump-approval-russia-election-meddling-cbs-news-poll/

@edatpost: @CBSNews poll: 49% say AHCA failed b/c it "just wasn’t popular." http://www.cbsnews.com/news/republicans-health-care-trump-approval-russia-election-meddling-cbs-news-poll/

@jpaceDC:Sometimes, for laughs, Trump likes to reminisce with staff about the time Priebus told him to drop out of 2016 race

@kylegriffin1: Devin Nunes' hometown paper—The Fresno Bee—calls Nunes "inept and bewildering" and demands a Select Cmte http://bit.ly/2nkjCAk