… The president’s polling numbers remain stuck in the political doldrums despite what has been, for the country, a moment of relative peace and prosperity for the first time in many years. Clearly, Trump’s style of governing has rubbed enough people the wrong way to cost him the kind of broad popularity we would expect to see in a presidency with a thriving economy.
On the other hand, Republicans can take heart that the public’s view of Democrats isn’t much better. Both sides are still on topics that are more focused on their base. …
Two-thirds of the way through Trump’s first term, voters haven’t changed their opinion much about either the president or the Democrats even though they put Democrats back in charge of the House. As the Democratic presidential field steps up its personal attacks on the president, however, this European trip may turn out to be just the kind of turning point Trump and his advisers need to change the political calculus. It gives the Trump team the perfect moment to reshape their communications and scheduling strategy to push the president’s approval numbers higher by being president first and candidate second. CONT.
David Winston, Roll Call