Weekly Trump Report Card: Stormy in more ways than one, ‘C’

Job growth continued, albeit a bit anemic, however the unemployment rate remained the same. The public face of the administration is one of a budding trade war with China, dueling sanctions with Russia, threats and counter-threats with both powers. It is hard to believe that any of this is more than posturing for a stronger bargaining position in inevitable negotiations — but this week the U.S. appears to be in former Secretary of State Dean Rusk’s immortal words, ‘Eyeball to eyeball with the enemy.’ And both Wall Street, as well as key industries, are very worried. (Incidentally, Rusk is one who kept his job for a while).

The president’s polling numbers are still in the low-forties, but he is personally buoyed by assurances from Russia prosecutor Robert Mueller that he is not under investigation for any criminal activities. However, lawyers for Stormy Daniels and others continue to press for just that. Not a good week at all.

Grade C-

Jed Babbin

President Trump had a fair-to-middling week. His personal approval rating polls hit new highs, the ‘caravan’ of immigrants walking through Mexico to enter the U.S. seemed to evaporate and he announced that there would be no deal on the Obama-era ‘Deferred Action on Childhood Arrivals’ because Congress has stalled his plans for tougher border controls. On the negative side, Messrs. Putin, Rouhani and Erdogan met to cement their alliance in Syria and the president’s advisers had to talk him out of an immediate withdrawal from that failed state. The possibility of a trade war with China became greater as China retaliated against his newly-imposed tariffs and Trump raised the ante.

Trump’s decision to walk away from Syria took his advisers by surprise. The president, whose opposition to nation-building is entirely right, wanted to withdraw from Syria and leave it to other nations to control the situation. But given the necessity of protecting the Kurds, our most reliable ally in the Middle East next to Israel, necessitated leaving 2,000 troops there for what is still an indefinite period. The failure of Trump and his advisers to come up with any policy on Syria (our troops have no definite mission there) is inexcusable.

Trump is taking a lot of heat from prominent conservatives on the big spending bill he just signed. He could try to invoke his budget impounding authority to limit spending, but Congress would have to approve that action by at least a simple majority vote. At this point, there’s little or no congressional support for impoundment.

China responded to Trump’s $50 billion in tariffs on Chinese goods by imposing its own tariffs on American goods ranging from farm products to airliners. Trump responded by asking his advisers to chart how to impose another $100 billion in tariffs on Chinese goods. This is the kind of trade war that will damage both economies and possibly escalate into a financial war in which China could call for payment of some or all of the trillions of dollars in American debt that it has bought.

Grade C-

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

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