This week’s White House Report Card is a good one for President Trump after delivering on his campaign promise to pull the United States out of the Paris Climate Agreement.
“I was elected to represent the citizens of Pittsburgh, not Paris,” said Trump. “Now we’re down to business.”
John Zogby
In early 1995, a badly bruised President Bill Clinton was asked by then-ABC News White House correspondent Brit Hume if the ‘presidency is still relevant?’
Mr. Clinton had taken a drubbing at the polls in 1994 and it seemed that the U.S. had more of a prime minister than a House speaker. Shortly after that, Mr. Clinton regained his sea legs and proved that he was still the master of D.C.
Regardless of whether you feel that President Trump’s pulling the U.S. out of the Paris Climate Treaty is the end of the world or more a rallying of his disaffected base, the president has proven that he is the man, he is in charge. The negative reaction has been swift and intense. Already governors, mayors, leading business figures, and the opposition Democrats are rallying their troops and resources to salvage the elements of the environmental treaty.
#MakeAmericaGreatAgain??https://t.co/eJxeVZ3A1r
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 2, 2017
At the same time, Democrats continue to lose special elections — the last loss in Montana where the GOP candidate beat the daylights out of a reporter. Next week, former FBI director James Comey testifies before Congress and that could prove to be a bombshell. And on June 20 a Democrat may just win a GOP district in Georgia. But those are then. For now, Mr. Trump rules.
Grade C
Jed Babbin
President Trump had another good week. His war of words – perhaps foreshadowing a trade war – with Germany’s Angela Merkel continued. Mrs. Merkel, facing the electorate soon, seemed eager to continue her “Trump is the boogeyman” tactic.
The biggest news of the week hit on Thursday when Mr. Trump announced America’s exit from the 2016 Paris climate accord, which was one of former President Obama’s proudest legacies. Like the agreement itself, Trump canceling America’s involvement in it will have no measurable effect on pollution. But it will eliminate a big burden on our economy. Trump’s actions were condemned as, among other things, a surrender of U.S. global leadership.
But the Paris agreement contains no enforcement provision and every signatory nation could change its emission goals without permission of the others. It was a feel-good bunch of baloney. In announcing our exit, Trump took a shot at all the global warmists from Merkel to Hillary Clinton. Though the president said he wants to renegotiate the deal, Europeans are saying “no” in about six languages. Trump’s action kept one of his big campaign promises, and conservatives will be rejoicing for quite a while.
Earlier in the week, the administration announced that it would be sending arms to our Kurdish allies who are fighting ISIS. The Turks, of course, objected strenuously. Afghanistan still teeters on the edge of complete failure, but the president’s policy is still unclear.
Grade B
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]
