First Read: “The best news for Trump in the new NBC/WSJ poll is that his base remains as strong as ever. Eighty-six percent of Republicans approve of the president’s job, versus just 13 percent who disapprove (+73).”

“By contrast, Democrats are 5 percent approve, 94 percent disapprove (-89), and independents are 39 percent approve, 53 percent disapprove (-14).”

“As Barack Obama discovered, having a strong base can get you through some of the roughest patches of your presidency. But when you’re relying ONLY on your base — and when you’re losing independents by double digits –—you’re in big trouble.”

A new ABC News/Washington Post poll finds only 35% of Americans express confidence in President Trump to make the right decisions for the country’s future while 64% don’t trust him in this central task.

But it’s no better for the Democrats in Congress: 34% to 65%; Speaker Nancy Pelosi: 30% to 62%; or the Republicans in Congress: 30% to 69%.

“That said, Trump leads the pack in negative intensity: Nearly half of Americans — 48% — say they have no confidence ‘at all’ in the president compared with 37% who say that about Pelosi. Thirty percent have no confidence in Republican lawmakers in Congress versus 29% for the Democrats.”

President Trump told the Wall Street Journal that he is doubtful Congress can come to a deal over border wall funding, adding that another government shutdown is “certainly an option.”

Said Trump: “I personally think it’s less than 50-50.”

Trump has suggested he’ll declare a national emergency to construct a wall along the southern border if Congress does not come to an agreement over the next three weeks.

A new NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll finds six-in-10 Americans believe the country is headed in the wrong direction, and nearly 70% of them have negative opinions on the state of the nation today.

White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney told CBS News “um, yeah!” that President Trump might shut down the government again in three weeks if he doesn’t get funding for his border wall.