Playbook: “Many very qualified Washington Republicans have said some version of this to us: Tax reform is done. Infrastructure is not likely to happen. The House could easily flip. The Senate Republicans will have a tough 2020 cycle. In other words, legislating is almost over. The Trump White House is partially a target of a federal investigation. Aides have lawyered up. The president makes policy advisers spar over policy. And the losers are often thrown under the bus. Why join this White House?”
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Trump’s Approval Slips
A new Monnouth poll finds President Trump’s job approval rating has slipped over the last month to 39% to 54%. Last month it was 42% to 54%.
Meanwhile, Democrats lead Republicans in the generic ballot, 50% to 41%.
Said pollster Patrick Murray: “The Democratic Party’s lead in the congressional ballot test has been trending with the net deficit in Trump’s job rating. A spate of recent news stories about family members in the president’s inner circle seems to have played a role in pushing his numbers down and taking the GOP’s standing down with it.”
Tracking Trump’s Appointees
ProPublica: “We’ve collected personnel records for thousands of these appointees. Use this database to search for them by name, former employer and agency.”
Bonus Quote of the Day
“I don’t feel people up. Well, OK, just a little.”
— Russian politician Leonid Slutsky, quoted by the BBC, when accused of sexual harassment by a journalist.
Americans Think Trump Is the Worst President
A new Quinnipiac poll finds that 41% of Americans think Donald Trump is the worst of the 13 presidents who have served since the end of World War II, followed by 21% who list Barack Obama and 10% who cite Richard Nixon.
Looking at the best president since 1945, 28% say Ronald Reagan, while 24% list Barack Obama, with 10% each for Bill Clinton and John Kennedy.
Said pollster Tim Malloy: “In 73 years, 13 men have governed from behind the Resolute Desk in the Oval Office and none of them have done so with less admiration from the American people.”
Meanwhile, Trump’s approval rating is a dismal 56% to 38%.
Cruz Slams O’Rourke for Using a Nickname
Sen. Ted Cruz’s (R-TX) re-election campaign released a 60-second radio ad that was a country music jingle prodding O’Rourke for going by “Beto” rather than “Robert,” CNN reports.
Said the song: “Liberal Robert wanted to fit in, so he changed his name to Beto and hid it with a grin.”
O’Rourke responded saying he’s gone by “Beto” since he was born.
[alert type=”general” dismiss=”no”]Of course, Cruz’s real name is Rafael Edward Cruz and he goes by the nickname “Ted.”[/alert]
Trump Wants to Start His Trade War Tomorrow
“President Trump wants to sign a presidential proclamation tomorrow to set his steel and aluminum tariffs in motion,” Axios reports.
“Trump is impatient and he wants to act — or at least be seen as acting. He got fed up with staff, especially Gary Cohn and Rob Porter, not giving him his tariffs on steel and aluminum. And some of Trump’s nationalist-minded advisers are telling him these tariffs will help turn out voters in the upcoming special election in Pennsylvania’s 18th congressional district.”
“Keep in mind that this is what Trump has been telling staff he wants. These days — and in this White House — nothing is set in stone. Besides, the White House lawyers have been working overtime on these tariffs and sources tell me nothing is certain when it comes to timing.”
Republicans Are Running Away from the Economy
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Why Trump Didn’t Sign Agreement with Stormy Daniels
Michael Avenatti, attorney for porn star Stormy Daniels, told the Today Show why he thinks Donald Trump didn’t sign the confidentiality agreement with his client.
Said Avenatti: “There were three parties to the agreement…two of the three signed. Mr. Trump did not sign. We believe that was so that he could later claim deniability, and therefore, from a legal perspective, we believe she’s free to talk.”
He added that Daniels is prepared to return the $130,000 she was given.
Quote of the Day
“The NRA today is a far cry from the NRA that in 1999 said that teachers shouldn’t carry weapons in schools. Or in the 90’s said we should have universal background checks. They have in essence become a terrorist organization.”
— Connecticut Gov. Dannel Malloy (D), quoted by WTIC-TV.
What Happened in the Texas Primaries
The Texas Tribune has a good rundown on the Texas primaries last night:
- Both Land Commissioner George P. Bush (R) and Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller (R) won their primary races outright.
- While Beto O’Rourke (D) easily won the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate, his share of the vote is surprisingly low given his aggressive campaigning and fundraising. Both of his lesser-known primary rivals won in multiple counties.
- In a race that’s drawn national attention, Lizzie Pannill Fletcher (D) and Laura Moser (D) are headed for a runoff in their bid to take on Rep. John Culberson (R-TX).
- Lupe Valdez (D) and Andrew White (D) are headed to a runoff in the Democratic primary for governor.
Associated Press: “Equally striking was the showing by women on the ballot: Of the nearly 50 women running for Congress in Texas, more than half won their primaries outright or advanced to runoffs. What’s more, at least three of those runoffs in May will feature women going head-to-head, including a key race for Democrats in their bid to take control of the U.S. House this fall.”
Cohn Would Be Willing to Come Back
Mike Allen reports that President Trump would be willing to entertain calling Gary Cohn back for a big job — White House chief of staff? — and Cohn would consider it.
Ben White: “One thing that didn’t make my Cohn story: If the president called him up in month or two and offered him chief of staff, he’d probably take it and go back in.”
Trump Trails Generic Democrat
A new Politico/Morning Consult poll finds President Trump trails a generic Democratic presidential candidate by eight points, 44% to 36%.
Key finding: “Male voters are evenly split: 42% would vote for Trump, and 42% would back the Democratic candidate. Among female voters, the Democrat has a 15-point lead, 46% to 31%.”
Staff Flee Trump’s White House
President Trump “once presided over a reality show in which a key cast member exited each week. The same thing seems to be happening in his White House,” the AP reports.
New York Times: “More than one in three top White House officials left by the end of Mr. Trump’s first year and fewer than half of the 12 positions closest to the president are still occupied by the same people as when he came into office… Cohn’s departure will bring the turnover number to 43 percent.”
Politico: “Some worry the White House could return to the uncontrolled days immediately following Trump’s inauguration, when many West Wing jobs were still unfilled and former strategist Steve Bannon was writing executive orders with policy adviser Stephen Miller, including the disastrous travel ban that was ultimately knocked down by multiple courts.”
How the GOP Will Try to Reverse Trump’s Tariff Decision
Playbook: “Senior Republicans are resigned to the fact that they can’t stop Trump from placing these tariffs on steel and aluminum imports. But if he follows through on his threat, senior Republicans will give him time to cool down, and then approach the president with data to show him that he’s wrong, and explain that the tariffs need to be refined. The GOP feels like he’s dug in, at the moment, and not terribly receptive to any outside views. Ryan hinted as much in a closed party meeting Tuesday morning in the Capitol.”
Kushner to Visit Mexico
Jared Kushner “will visit Mexico on Wednesday and meet President Enrique Pena Nieto, the Mexican foreign ministry said, after a ratcheting up of tensions over trade and plans for a border wall,” Reuters reports.
How Democrats Could Pick Up a Senate Seat in Mississippi
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Texas Primary Election Results
The New York Times is following the primary results as they come in.
