A lot happened this week on President Trump’s watch, but it was the continued booming economy and job creation that helped out on his weekly White House Report Card.
Grader John Zogby, the Democratic pollster, took issue with Trump’s tweet “meltdown” over 2020 Democratic primary challenger Joe Biden while conservative analyst Jed Babbin warned of where the funding will come from for the bipartisan infrastructure deal Trump OK’d.
John Zogby
Grade C-
Unemployment is at 3.6%, 233,000 new jobs were created last month, and wages continue to rise. But the news was dominated by President Trump’s 60-tweet meltdown over a union endorsement of Joe Biden and Attorney General William Barr’s confrontation with Congress.
We’re killing it on the economy! ? pic.twitter.com/hme0eihP9c
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) May 3, 2019
Meanwhile, Trump’s buddies in Saudi Arabia started the week by beheading 37 protesters, some just 15-17 years old. Brazen and barbaric.
New polling shows major Democrats leading Trump by 3-5 points in 2020 matchups. But the unemployment figures are compelling.
Jed Babbin
Grade C+
President Trump had a very busy week that was pretty well dominated by the Democrats’ subpoena wars and Attorney General William Barr’s testimony on the Mueller report.
Trump began the week by announcing he was canceling our signature on the U.N.’s small arms sales control treaty at the National Rifle Association’s annual meeting. Second Amendment advocates believed — with good reason — that it would have restricted domestic gun sales and was inconsistent with the Second Amendment.
Very good call yesterday with President Putin of Russia. Tremendous potential for a good/great relationship with Russia, despite what you read and see in the Fake News Media. Look how they have misled you on “Russia Collusion.” The World can be a better and safer place. Nice!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 4, 2019
The biggest news of the week was Trump’s apparent agreement with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer on a $2 trillion “stimulus” package. The big problem with it is where to find the money for it. Democrats will demand massive cuts in defense spending and tax hikes. Republicans aren’t likely to support either. Defense cuts now would force a turnaround on the rebuilding of the military that Trump has only begun. This is another “shovel-ready” stimulus that should be buried deeply before it can get started.
The subpoena wars are getting hotter with House liberals seeking Trump’s financial records. Trump sued Deutsche Bank and others to stop them from complying with the subpoenas on the grounds that they are politically motivated. He has also said that former White House counsel Don McGahn won’t testify because McGahn has already cooperated at length with the Mueller investigation. Trump is likely to lose these battles but they will drag on for months.
The Trump team has eliminated parts of the limitations on offshore oil drilling that Obama imposed after the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The oil industry will have more flexibility in procedures after this change, increasing oil exploration and drilling. That was followed by another great jobs report on Friday, indicating that unemployment was still very low.
So surprised to see Conservative thinkers like James Woods banned from Twitter, and Paul Watson banned from Facebook! https://t.co/eHX3Z5CMXb
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 3, 2019
The media seems to believe that the only important event in the world was the Democrats’ efforts to bash the attorney general. Barr stood his ground in the Senate and refused to testify in the House because Judiciary Committee Chairman Rep. Jerry Nadler wants Barr to answer questions from staffers not just members. Nadler may try to hold Barr in contempt of Congress next week. It’s all psychodrama that the anti-Trump forces are using to befog the fact that they’re doing absolutely nothing but investigating Trump.
Jed Babbin is an Examiner contributor and former deputy undersecretary of defense in the 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
