This week’s White House Report Card finds President Trump temporarily defeated in his fight for border wall funding but buoyed by support for his promise to back the pro-democracy movement in Venezuela.
Still, conservative analyst Jed Babbin said that Trump’s cave-in to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on the wall overshadows any good from Venezuela, and he failed the president. And Democratic pollster John Zogby said that Trump’s whip-sawed statements about taking credit or not for the shutdown alone earned him an F.
Jed Babbin
Grade F
This week could be labeled “The Art of the Bad Deal” for President Trump. It began with a good offer to the Democrats to end the government shutdown, featured House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s historic refusal to let Trump use the House for his State of the Union address, and ended with a deal to open the government that doesn’t include any funding for Trump’s signature border wall.
It was a week in which Trump negotiated with himself without the Democrats budging an inch, despite a good offer. It included continuation of former President Barack Obama’s Deferred Action on Childhood Arrivals program, an extension of time for immigrants to remain under temporary protected status, and $5.7 billion for the border wall. But it was dead on arrival.
On Friday, Trump caved in, agreeing to a three-week reopening of the government without any border wall funding. The three weeks are purportedly going to be a period of serious negotiations over wall funding and a yearlong government funding measure.
21 days goes very quickly. Negotiations with Democrats will start immediately. Will not be easy to make a deal, both parties very dug in. The case for National Security has been greatly enhanced by what has been happening at the Border & through dialogue. We will build the Wall!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 26, 2019
Trump said it could lead to another government shutdown if the Democrats don’t negotiate funding for the border wall. There is no reason — historically, logically, or politically — that they will ever compromise and let Trump build the wall. Trump’s cave-in let Pelosi win this battle and, with it, probably the whole border wall war.
The only bright light in the week’s politics happened when Vice President Mike Pence spoke to Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido, who had lost a fraudulent election to socialist dictator Nicolas Maduro. Pence said that if Guaido could legitimately claim the presidency, America would back him over that of Maduro. Venezuela’s National Assembly, using a provision of their constitution, proclaimed Guaido president, and Trump immediately recognized him. Several other countries quickly followed suit. Russia, Turkey, Cuba, and others among the usual suspects refused to do so.
John Zogby
Grade F
It is one thing to needlessly manufacture a situation that forces a government shutdown. It is another thing to welcome ownership of a bad situation then try to foist blame on the opposition. Still quite another thing to steadily watch your own poll numbers tank as the American people clearly blame you for everything.
As the stories of hardship unfold of missed paychecks, of government workers facing disaster and necessary services not being offered, President Trump looked more and more like a mean-spirited and spoiled child willing to place government employees and citizens as hostages over a border wall that a majority of Americans and the House of Representatives do not want.
He has finally caved with a three-week compromise that reopens the government without his signature demand, the wall. He has caved in, and now the blame is coming from every side — including conservatives like Ann Coulter.
At the same time, after promising to not intervene in the affairs of foreign countries, Trump unilaterally recognizes the opposition leader in Venezuela, even though he has not been elected to anything.
Jed Babbin is an Examiner contributor and former deputy undersecretary of defense in administration of former President George H.W. Bush. Follow him on Twitter @jedbabbin
John Zogby is the founder of the Zogby Poll and senior partner at John Zogby Strategies. His latest book is We are Many, We are One: Neo-Tribes and Tribal Analytics in 21st Century America. Follow him on Twitter @TheJohnZogby
