This week’s White House Report Card finds President Trump treading water with just seven weeks until Election Day.
He had several big wins, including Friday’s peace deal between Israel and Bahrain, a promise kept to reduce troops in wars, and a nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize. But he struggled with criticism over his handling of the coronavirus crisis after excerpts of author Bob Woodward’s new book suggested he downplayed the threat.
Our graders agreed that it was a lost week. Conservative analyst Jed Babbin graded it a “D,” and pollster John Zogby gave an “F.”
Jed Babbin
Grade D
So many things should have made this a really good week for Trump (a nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize, announcing withdrawals from Iraq and Afghanistan, an Israel-Bahrain peace pact). But like so many other weeks, the week turned sour over Trump’s words.
The Nobel nomination came for Trump’s success in engineering peace talks between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, which may well prove a model for more steps toward some sort of peace in the Middle East. It was a sharp contrast to President Barack Obama’s 2009 Nobel Peace Prize that was awarded before Obama accomplished anything. Trump probably won’t get the prize (the Nobel committee is notoriously politically left-wing), but the nomination is an accomplishment in itself.
No one has ever done this! Twice in one month! @realDonaldTrump has brokered yet another Peace deal in the Middle East. This time it’s Bahrain & Israel. Historic & no one more deserving of the Noble Peace Prize 2021 than our President! ?????? https://t.co/w2drjdqTWz
— Ambassador Gunter (@USAmbIceland) September 12, 2020
The Pentagon announced major troop withdrawals from Iraq and Afghanistan, partially fulfilling Trump’s campaign promise to end the “endless wars” since 2001. And Trump announced another list of potential nominees to the Supreme Court for his next term, if he gets one. All solid conservatives, including Circuit Judge Amy Coney Barrett, who is the strongest pro-life judge around. Nominating her would make the liberal’s performance in the horrendous Brett Kavanaugh hearings seem like a walk in the park.
But the bad was mixed with the inexplicable this week. Trump’s administration reportedly ordered the end to COVID-19 tests for incoming international travelers despite huge infection rates in many countries. They also ordered a ban on offshore drilling near Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina, which will only please the tree huggers.
The media’s attention was focused entirely on the allegations in Washington Post reporter Bob Woodward’s new book, Rage, which featured quotes from more than a dozen hours of interviews with Trump, and other allegations in an Atlantic magazine piece that alleges Trump called the military’s wounded and dead “suckers” and “losers” for serving their country.
Woodward’s book, supported by recorded conversations with Trump, says that Trump downplayed the danger of the COVID-19 pandemic, thus lying to the American people about it. Trump had to admit what he said (several of the recordings have been released before the book), and the press is running with it as is Joe Biden. We are left wondering why Trump would cooperate with Woodward. Other Republican presidents (notably Bush 43) did so with disastrous results. Trump’s ego apparently led him to believe that he could charm Woodward into favorable reporting. That failed in a big way.
Donald Trump knew.
He lied to us for months.
And while a deadly disease ripped through our nation, he failed to do his job — on purpose.
It was a life or death betrayal of the American people. https://t.co/WDmVUvmmJk
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) September 9, 2020
Trump (and several people with direct knowledge, such as former national security director John Bolton, who despises Trump) have said the Atlantic allegations are false. Trump has denied them, but they remain a media narrative.
The worst news for Trump is that his campaign is running low on cash and thus can’t buy television time in key states. That’s a really bad omen for Nov. 3.
John Zogby
Grade F
If it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck …
This week, there were revelations by journalist-author Bob Woodward that Trump knew about the seriousness of COVID-19 in late January but neglected to inform the public and refused to make adequate government or public preparations. The president says he was only trying to prevent a panic from setting in. Can you imagine Paul Revere telling the press that he knew the British were close but didn’t want to wake people up or cause alarm?
According to a Reuters poll, 57% do not believe the president, while only 38% do. That followed the revelation by the Atlantic that Trump did not want to visit a military cemetery because it was filled with the graves of ‘losers’ and ‘suckers.’ The president vehemently denied he said that, but he walks and quacks like a duck far too often to be given the benefit of the doubt.
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
John Zogby is the founder of the Zogby Poll and senior partner at John Zogby Strategies. His weekly podcast with son and partner Jeremy Zogby can be heard here. Follow him on Twitter @TheJohnZogby
