This week’s White House report card finds President Joe Biden back at his Rehoboth, Del., beach home after an emotional trip to Ireland, where he repeatedly suggested that he might never return to the United States.
At the end of his trip on Friday, he suggested that he would announce his 2024 reelection plans soon, and all indications are that it’s a go.
CALLING CLARENCE THOMAS TO TESTIFY COULD IGNITE ‘DEFCON ONE’ JUDICIARY IMPASSE
Asked upon departing Dublin if the trip to Ireland would have an impact on his decision to run for reelection, Biden said, “No, no, I have already made that calculus. We will announce it relatively soon.” He added, “The trip here just reinforced my sense of optimism about what can be done. I told you my plan is to run again.”
John Zogby, the Democratic pollster, graded the week a “B,” citing a cooling of inflation and the president’s trip to Ireland. He gave Biden a pass on his muffed reference to rugby history and mixup of the “All Blacks” rugby squad with the “Black and Tan” military force.
Conservative grader Jed Babbin gave Biden a “D-minus” for the week for aggressively pushing mandatory electric cars, the Pentagon classified leak scandal, and concerns China is dumping information critical of first son Hunter Biden that could impact the Oval Office.
John Zogby
Grade: B
This was a decent week. Sure, there was some bad news. First, the Fed projected a recession this year. That is decidedly not good, but the recession is not this week. My grade is not on the future, especially one that has not happened yet.
What did happen is that $1 trillion has been added to the national debt, and there is no good way to spin that. On the other hand, President Joe Biden is basking in the glow of successful trips to Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. I know firsthand how sensitive folks can be about sports teams, but let’s just chalk up his little gaffe on “All Black” vs. “Black and Tan” to a lousy couple of weeks for the president and first lady on the issue of sports and leave it at that.
“BLACK AND TANS” vs. “ALL BLACKS”: Explaining @POTUS Biden’s pub flub and what it has to do with Rugby and a sensitive moment in Irish history. pic.twitter.com/NMkJPAVxTf
— Ed O’Keefe (@edokeefe) April 13, 2023
Inflation is down to 5% annualized, whereas it was at around 10% a few months ago. And that is coupled with last week’s report on 231,000 new jobs and a drop in the unemployment rate.
In the two polls conducted and reported just this week, the president is averaging 47.5% approval and 50.5% disapproval of his job — a net minus 3%. He is also running better against his nemesis, former President Donald Trump.
Jed Babbin
Grade: D-
President Joe Biden went to Ireland this week, where he managed to confuse a rugby team with a former British paramilitary unit that fought the Irish during “the Troubles.” That wasn’t the worst of it. Biden and his crew managed to propose regulations that would force 67% of cars purchased to be electric in just a few years, military leaks exposed too much about Ukraine, our ability to spy on Russia, and a lot more, and the Chinese began releasing bank records on first son Hunter Biden which aren’t going to be good news for the president.
Biden’s new car emissions regulation is the most aggressive ever. They will affect cars manufactured after 2027 if they are finalized and will force 67% of us to buy cars, SUVs, and light trucks that are electric vehicles. Better buy and take care of your gasoline-powered cars. Electric vehicles are a hugely bad idea because they are hard to recharge, are more costly — by a lot — than gas-powered cars, and because the U.S. electrical grid can’t handle the load that millions more electric cars and trucks will impose.
Jack Teixeira appeared in court in Massachusetts on Friday and was charged in connection to the leak of hundreds of classified documents from the Pentagon.
The 21-year-old Air National Guardsman was arrested by the FBI on Thursday. https://t.co/sWzw1qDnH5
— Washington Examiner (@dcexaminer) April 15, 2023
There is clearly a systemic problem with the way our secret information is protected. The alleged leaker has been arrested, but he is a lowly Air Force National Guard guy. Why he could gain access to the top-secret intelligence information posted on social media is a mystery. The leaks didn’t embarrass the Biden crew because you can’t shame the shameless, but our allies from South Korea to Japan to NATO are all hugely embarrassed and wondering whether the U.S. can be trusted with secret information.
As if the cost illegal aliens impose on us weren’t high enough, Biden announced that he wants to give Obamacare to DACA illegals, those who arrived as children and were singled out as “dreamers” by the Obama administration.
And the bank records being released by Chinese-American Cathay Bank reportedly show millions of dollars flowing from Chinese companies to Hunter and the president’s brother James. Their influence-peddling business could soon be broadly revealed by Senate investigators.
SEE THE LATEST POLITICAL NEWS AND BUZZ FROM WASHINGTON SECRETS
John Zogby is the founder of the Zogby Survey and senior partner at John Zogby Strategies. His weekly podcast with son and managing partner and pollster Jeremy Zogby can be heard here. Follow him on Twitter @ZogbyStrategies
Jed Babbin is a Washington Examiner contributor and former deputy undersecretary of defense in the administration of former President George H.W. Bush. Follow him on Twitter @jedbabbin
