A judge in New York dismisses a Democratic suit alleging Trump campaign collusion with WikiLeaks and Russia, a Supreme Court ruling allows the administration to divert funds to the border wall, and a divided Congress agrees to a budget deal.
The recent string of wins for President Trump has his reelection campaign retooling its message with an image of a nimble administration dodging opponents to deliver on his promises, with a pipeline of policy initiatives in the works.
Or as President Trump put it in a jubilant tweet on Wednesday: “Such a great victory in court yesterday on the Russian Hoax, the greatest political scam in the history of our Country. TREASON!”
The jubilation followed a ruling by Judge John Koeltl, in the Southern District of New York, who rejected a suit brought by the Democratic National Committee alleging that the Trump campaign conspired with Russia and WikiLeaks to steal documents.
“In sum, the DNC does not allege any facts to show plausibly that any of the defendants, other than the Russia Federation, had any role in hacking the DNC’s computers or stealing its information,” he said.
The Trump 2020 campaign said the decision allowed it to move on from an issue that has dogged the administration, positioning the president to win a second term.
“President Trump is overcoming unprecedented obstruction by Democrats in Congress and an endless fixation on the bogus Russia Hoax by Democrats,” said Tim Murtaugh, communications director for Trump’s reelection campaign.
“Despite the opposition, he is posting great wins for America, protecting our national security and growing the roaring economy.
“Voters will see a clear choice between a President who fights for America every day and Democrats who have done nothing but obstruct and interfere.”
Last week, in a one-paragraph order, the Supreme Court allowed the administration to begin using $2.5 billion in Pentagon money for Trump’s border wall.
At the same time, Robert Mueller’s long-awaited congressional testimony was notable mostly for its lack of bombshells and the special counsel’s halting delivery.
And there was more welcome news on Wednesday. The Federal Reserve cut interest rates for the first time since 2008, reducing its lending rate to 2%, even if did not go as far as Trump wanted in stimulating the economy.
More wins are in the works, according to Kelly Sadler of the pro-Trump super PAC America First Action, with an executive order coming next week on allowing drug imports from Canada to drive down costs and ratification of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade deal.
“The border wall is being built, more than 400 miles will be completed by next year,” she said.
“The economy is at an all-time high, with unemployment at an all-time low.
“We aim to pass USMCA in the fall, which will pump another $68 billion dollars into the economy. All Americans are winning under this administration, and this will be the message we take into 2020.”
Trump supporters believe he is now well placed to capitalize on the wins and on a crowded Democratic race ahead of what is likely to be a competitive election.
Campaign officials believe the Democratic base will drag the party’s nominee to the Left, giving Trump a clear path to victory.
Even some Democrats agree with that analysis. During Tuesday’s CNN debate, John Delaney, the former Maryland representative, warned his rivals for the Democratic nomination of the dangers of embracing policies pushed by Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren.
“We can go down the road that Sen. Sanders and Sen. Warren want to take us, which is with bad policies like ‘Medicare for all,’ free everything and impossible promises that will turn off independent voters and get Trump reelected,” he said.
The result is an opportunity for Trump to press ahead with getting things done, according to supporters, while Democrats slug it out.
Michael Johns, a Tea Party movement founder, said the past week brought closure on the Mueller report, and demonstrated that Trump remained the candidate of change in 2020.
“The key issue is that the president is making progress and still standing by the commitments he made,” he said.
“When you look at the core components of his campaign messaging — taxes, regulatory relief, immigration overhauls, trade overhauls, changes in the way the federal government does business — there’s notable progress and yet he’s still not completely there, but it’s not his fault either.”
