This week’s White House report card finds our graders agreeing that President Trump took some punches and has a lot riding on the outcome of his wiretapping charge against former President Obama. All in all, a mediocre to poor grade this week.
John Zogby
Not a very good week for President Trump but a very bad one for MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow. Not only did Trump win that round but Ms. Maddow went so overboard promoting release of his 2005 tax returns that she embarrassed herself.
On the other hand, the White House-supported American Health Care Act is going up in flames and raises serious questions as to whether the president can deliver on a firm promise to repeal Obamacare.
His budget proposes to cut funding for the environment, education, the arts, public diplomacy, public broadcasting, and assistance to the poor, while it offers tax cuts to millionaires. Let’s just call that bad public relations and playing into the worst fears and anger of his opponents.
Then there are the diversions that make Mr. Trump simply look bad. For example, GOP leaders in both houses of Congress admitted that not only is there no evidence that his predecessor ordered surveillance on Trump Tower, there also is no evidence of any surveillance at all. How deep can a deep state be if a deep state ain’t so deep?
Grade D+
Jed Babbin
President Trump’s week was spent on the “Trumpcare” replacement for Obamacare, the new version of his travel ban and the matter of his still unproven allegation that former president Obama wiretapped the Trump Tower.
On health care, the bill pushed by Speaker Paul Ryan appears in trouble but Trump has promised to get it passed. His wheeling and dealing on the bill will test his strength or ability to walk away from a bad deal.
Just before it took effect, version 2.0 of the Trump travel ban was again stopped cold by a federal judge, whose reasoning was unprecedented and entirely political. Trump will appeal, but needs Neil Gorsuch on the Supreme Court first or it could fall to a split decision.
Trump’s administration published a draft budget that proposed massive cuts in most agencies including the EPA and State Department to fund an increase in defense spending. Meanwhile, Secretary of State Tillerson, visiting Asia, said that diplomacy with North Korea had failed and that all alternatives are on the table. After a decade of unanswered saber-rattling by Pyongyang, Tillerson’s comment was a very welcome change.
The president suffered a considerable setback when Cong. Devin Nunes, Chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, seemed to say that there was no evidence supporting Trump’s tweeted claim that former President Obama had ordered wiretapping of Trump Tower during the election. Senate Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence Chairman Richard Burr and Vice Chairman Mark Warner said the same later. FBI Director James Comey has also been cagey, refusing to answer direct questions from the senate on the matter. There will be high-profile hearings on Russian interference in the election (in which Trump’s wiretapping allegation will come up) on Monday. The president has a lot riding on the outcome.
The president’s Friday meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel produced no surprises. The two disagree on defense spending and immigration. Mr. Trump’s remarks on the former during their joint press conference were proof positive that Merkel hadn’t convinced him that Germany and other NATO nations that don’t spend enough on their own defense should continue to get a free ride.
Grade C+
John Zogby is the founder of the Zogby Poll and senior partner at John Zogby Strategies. His latest book is and author of We are Many, We are One: Neo-Tribes and Tribal Analytics in 21st Century America. Follow him at @TheJohnZogby
Jed Babbin is an Examiner contributor and former deputy undersecretary of defense in administration of former President George H.W. Bush. Follow him @jedbabbin
Paul Bedard, the Washington Examiner’s “Washington Secrets” columnist, can be contacted at [email protected]
