Republicans have appealed to Donald Trump to give it a rest. With midterms fast approaching, the GOP sees a bloodbath if Trump keeps pushing his agenda. So, according to The Washington Post 202, to the shelf go at least three controversies.
- “The president moved to de-escalate his unpopular trade war, signaled that he’s no longer committed to shut down the federal government in October if the border wall isn’t fully funded and reluctantly relented on his rapprochement with Russia. After inviting Vladimir Putin to visit Washington in the fall with fanfare last week, the White House announced yesterday that he won’t come until 2019.”
The move comes a day after the administration announced a $12 billion bailout for farmers suffering the economic consequences of Trump’s self-inflicted trade war. From The Post:
- “Gov. John Kasich (R) questioned Trump’s motives as he opened the Ohio state fair yesterday: “You have to wonder: Is this about vote-buying? Is this about the fact that you don’t want farmers turning against you in a midterm when they are suffering the consequences of trade?”
- “Sen. Mike Rounds (R) warned his colleagues during a private lunch on Tuesday that he’s been seeing fewer red “Make America Great Again” hats when he goes home to South Dakota, which he presented as an ominous signal of dimming enthusiasm among the party faithful. The senator called Trump’s announcement yesterday “a step in the right direction,” per Erica Werner and Sean Sullivan.”
New polling from NBC/Marist shows Trump’s approval ratings in the mid-30’s in crucial farm states. Which is why funding the border wall is suddenly a non-starter, as is a visit by Vladimir Putin and most importantly in the midwest, show voters he’s actually doing something about trade.