President Trump’s defeat in his border-wall standoff with Congress has clouded his already perilous path to a second term in 2020, undercutting Mr. Trump’s cherished image as a forceful leader and deft negotiator, and emboldening alike his Democratic challengers and Republican dissenters who hope to block his re-election. The longest […] Read more »
Why the shutdown ended — and what to watch for now
… In a televised Oval Office meeting with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) in December, Trump famously said he would shoulder the blame for a government shutdown if the Democrats refused to fund a border wall. “I will be the one to […] Read more »
The numbers show Trump lost the shutdown and Pelosi won
… An ABC News/Washington Post poll finds that only 37% of Americans approve of the job President Donald Trump is doing. A significantly higher 58% disapprove. This makes for a net approval rating of -21 points. The previous ABC/Washington Post poll put Trump’s net approval rating at -13 points, so […] Read more »
Why Trump Blinked
President Trump blinked. The 35-day partial government shutdown appears to be ending. From the start of the shutdown, congressional Democrats said they would not negotiate regarding Trump’s proposal for a border wall until the government reopened. Trump said he would not agree to legislation opening the government unless it included […] Read more »
Why Trump didn’t build the wall when Republicans controlled Congress
The construction of a physical barrier along the Mexican border has been Donald Trump’s signature issue since he hit the campaign trail in 2015 and led repeated chants of “Build the wall!” After Trump won, he enjoyed two years when his fellow Republicans controlled both the Senate and House of […] Read more »
Majority of Americans hold Trump and Republicans responsible for shutdown
Public disapproval of President Trump has swelled five points to 58 percent over three months as a majority of Americans continue to hold him and congressional Republicans most responsible for the partial federal government shutdown, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll. CONT. Scott Clement & David Nakamura, Washington […] Read more »