Trump's Approval Slides as His Administration Seems Erratic and Incapable of Effective Leadership
Donald Trump's approval rating continues to decline, reflecting a very tough month for the President. Looking at all the recent polls, his average approval has fallen to 41.6% and an AP poll had it at 36% last week, near the record low for the President. The decline is also reflected in the most recent NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll in which 52 percent of Americans supported a generic Democratic candidate in 2020 compared to only 40 percent who said they would likely vote for Trump. The election is still a long way off, but those numbers have to worry his campaign staff.
Trump's falling poll numbers come at a particularly difficult time for his presidency when a broad swath of America, and even some his Republican supporters, are questioning his ability to address the nation's most pressing issues. For instance, in the new NBC/WSJ poll, only 36 percent of Americans approve of Trump’s handling of the aftermath of the El Paso and Dayton shootings. Some other examples [although certainly not an exhaustive list]:
1. Trump's trade war with China is losing him support within his own party and his erratic behavior Friday, ordering American companies to make plans to pull out of China for instance, shocked even his most ardent supporters and spooked investors . He made matters worse today by first suggesting that he regretted his trade war with China then backtracking later in the day.
Washington Post: "President Trump conceded regret Sunday morning about his escalating trade war with China before reversing course in the afternoon and saying he only wished he had raised the tariffs higher."
2. The Federal budget deficit is ballooning out of control because of the administration's 2017 tax cuts and spending increases and Trump has no viable plan to address the issue. Instead he is floating the idea of more tax cuts which would push the deficit even higher.
3. N. Korea is now regularly lobbing missiles into the sea, but Trump has downplayed the tests while continuing to praise his new "friend" Kim Jong Un. Trump's stated goal of "denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula" now seems like a long-forgotten pipe dream.
4. President Trump seems to change his mind daily on new gun regulations following the El Paso and Dayton massacres, specifically expanded background checks. He now seems to be siding with Wayne LaPierre, the head of the N.R.A, at a time when most Americans support such laws.
5. The President managed to insult American Jews this week while seeking their support.
New York Times: "Mr. Trump said on Tuesday that any Jewish person who votes for a Democrat is guilty of ignorance or “great disloyalty.” Mr. Trump did not go into specifics, but his language is reminiscent of the anti-Semitic smear that Jews have a “dual loyalty” and are more devoted to Israel than they are to their own countries."
6. Denmark's Prime Minister scorched the President on his ham-fisted approach to acquiring Greenland, calling the suggestion "absurd". Trump was able to turn what might have been a viable discussion into a joke because of his incompetence.
7. The President seemed to infer that the Chair of the Federal Reserve was an enemy of the state.
8. He also suggested he might be "the chosen one."
If this week is any indication, it's going to be a very bumpy ride on our way to election day, 2020.
By; Don Lam and Curated Content
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