A new Gallup poll finds President Trump’s job approval rating rose to its highest level in almost a year, 42%.
The gap between disapproval and approval of the president also narrowed to the smallest in nearly a year.
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Democratic PAC Makes Bid to Boost Blankenship
A Democratic super PAC is boosting its spending against Rep. Evan Jenkins (R-WV) in an effort to prop up Don Blankenship’s (R) campaign for the GOP nomination to take on Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV), the Washington Examiner reports.
Kelly Thinks He’s Saving the U.S. from Disaster
“White House chief of staff John Kelly has eroded morale in the West Wing in recent months with comments to aides that include insulting the president’s intelligence and casting himself as the savior of the country, according to eight current and former White House officials,” NBC News reports.
“The officials said Kelly portrays himself to Trump administration aides as the lone bulwark against catastrophe, curbing the erratic urges of a president who has a questionable grasp on policy issues and the functions of government. He has referred to Trump as ‘an idiot’ multiple times to underscore his point.”
Said on official: “He says stuff you can’t believe. He’ll say it and you think, ‘That is not what you should be saying.'”
No Guns Allowed at NRA Convention
“Attendees at the National Rifle Association’s annual meeting in Dallas can carry their firearms — except during the forum where President Trump and Vice President Pence speak Friday,” the AP reports.
“The NRA posted a notice on its website saying that the arena will be under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Secret Service during the leadership forum. It’s standard for the Secret Service to bar firearms from being carried into places visited by the people they protect, regardless of state laws. Other prohibited items include toy guns and knives, according to the NRA posting.”
McCain: ‘This Is My Last Term’
Sen. John McCain (R-AZ), “who is battling brain cancer in his home state of Arizona, says in his new book that his current term is his last,” CNN reports.
Said McCain: “This is my last term. If I hadn’t admitted that to myself before this summer, a stage 4 cancer diagnosis acts as ungentle persuasion. I’m freer than colleagues who will face the voters again. I can speak my mind without fearing the consequences much. And I can vote my conscience without worry.”
Rubio Admits Tax Law Isn’t Helping Workers
Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) told the Economist that the new Republican tax law isn’t helping American workers like his party promised it would.
Said Rubio: “There is still a lot of thinking on the right that if big corporations are happy, they’re going to take the money they’re saving and reinvest it in American workers. In fact they bought back shares, a few gave out bonuses; there’s no evidence whatsoever that the money’s been massively poured back into the American worker.”
Trump Campaign Is Paying Some of Cohen’s Legal Fees
“The Trump campaign has spent nearly $228,000 to cover some of the legal expenses for President Trump’s personal attorney Michael Cohen, sources familiar with the payments tell ABC News, raising questions about whether the Trump campaign may have violated campaign finance laws.”
“Cohen has said that he did not have a formal role in the Trump campaign, and it is illegal to spend campaign funds for personal use.”
Stormy Daniels Files Defamation Suit Against Trump
Adult film star Stormy Daniels has filed a defamation suit against President Trump for a tweet that said a forensic sketch of a man who allegedly threatened her in 2011 was “a total con job,” NBC News reports.
Trump Hasn’t Had a News Conference In a Year
“The presidential news conference, a time-honored tradition going back generations, appears to be no longer,” the AP reports.
“More than a year has passed since President Trump held the only solo news conference of his administration — a rollicking, hastily arranged, 77-minute free-for-all during which he railed against the media, defended his fired national security adviser and insisted nobody who advised his campaign had had contacts with Russia.”
Missouri Senate Race Is a Dead Heat
A new Emerson College Poll in Missouri has the closely watched Senate race between Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-MO) and likely challenger Josh Hawley (R) in a tie, 45% to 45% with 10% of voters undecided. Governor
Meanwhile, Gov. Eric Greitens (R), currently reeling from multiple scandals involving infidelity, blackmail, and campaign finance violations, has 33% to 46% approval rating, When asked what Greitens should do next, 36% want him to resign, 33% want the governor to remain in office, and 18% want him impeached, which means that 54% of Missouri voters want Greitens out as Governor.
Special Elections Have Been Very Bad for Republicans
Harry Enten: “When we look at every election in terms of performance relative to partisan baseline, we find that Democrats overperformed past elections in 83 of 114 elections. Democrats have overperformed by an average of 13 points in these elections.”
“Democrats are overperforming in districts, regardless of which way the district usually leans. But Democrats overperformance from the baseline has actually been greater in districts with a Republican lean.”
“These results suggest that the Republican Party is in trouble heading into the midterm elections. If past trends hold, it is possible Democrats could see a double digit swing in the average House district in 2018 compared with past elections.”
Quote of the Day
“We have to keep the House because if we listen to Maxine Waters, she’s going around saying ‘We will impeach him, we will impeach him.'”
— President Trump, quoted by Fox News.
For members: The Impeachment Trap and A Quick Look at Impeachment Math
Scott Posts Huge Fundraising Haul
Florida Gov. Rick Scott’s (R) Senate campaign says it raised $3.2 million in the three weeks since announcing his bid, a major show of fundraising force in his bid against Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL), The Hill reports.
“The figure represents as much as Nelson raised during the first three months of 2018. The news is meant as a warning shot to Democrats about how quickly Scott can raise money — even before putting his personal wealth into the campaign.”
Trump Promised Paul He’d Pull Troops from Afghanistan
In trying to secure his vote to confirm Mike Pompeo as Secretary of State, President Trump told Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) that he was prepared to end the war in Afghanistan, the Washington Post reports.
Said Paul: “The president told me over and over again in general we’re getting the hell out of there. I think the president’s instincts and inclination are to resolve the Afghan conflict.”
“The two men discussed no exit dates and did not strike a written agreement… It is unclear just how much Trump’s private conversations signal a public shift in policy or, rather, if they are just maneuvering by a famously transactional leader who often says what he needs to say to make a deal and then reverses himself.”
The United States of Apathy
This map shows 2016 electoral college results if abstention from voting was counted as a vote for “nobody.”
McCain Asked Son-In-Law to ‘Take Care Of’ His Daughter
Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) asked his son-in-law, Ben Domenech, over the weekend to “take care of” his daughter as he continues to receive treatment for complications connected to his brain cancer, Roll Call reports.
Tweeted Domenech: “John hugged me tonight. He asked me to take care of Meghan. I said I would.”
He deleted the tweet shortly after.
What Happened to the Trump-Macron Tree?
“A mystery is brewing at the White House about what happened to the oak tree President Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron planted there last week,” the AP reports.
“The sapling was a gift from Macron on the occasion of his state visit. News photographers snapped away Monday when Trump and Macron shoveled dirt onto the tree during a ceremonial planting on the South Lawn. By the end of the week, the tree was gone from the lawn. A pale patch of grass was left in its place.”
However, France’s ambassador to the U.S. explains in a tweet: “It is in quarantine which is mandatory for any living organism imported to the US. It will be replanted afterwards.”
South Korea Says Trump Should Win Nobel Peace Prize
South Korean President Moon Jae-in said President Trump deserves a Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to end the standoff with North Korea over its nuclear weapons program, Reuters reports.
