Monday, April 28 | By Jonathan Easley |
Trump on media blitz ahead of 100th day in office
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PRESIDENT TRUMP IS EMBARKING on a media blitz to take control of the narrative surrounding his second term ahead of his 100th day in office, as public polling shows a sharp decline in his approval rating due to uncertainty around the economy. Trump is making the rounds for print and on-camera interviews — including with outlets he deems hostile — ahead of his Tuesday address on the economy in Michigan to mark his 100th day. The Atlantic — helmed by editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg, whom the president has treated as a persistent foil — ran its highly anticipated interview with Trump on Monday. This quote drove headlines: "The first [term], I had two things to do — run the country and survive; I had all these crooked guys," he said. "And the second time, I run the country and the world."
Trump will sit with ABC News for an interview set to run Tuesday evening, and then on Wednesday he's expected to participate in a town hall event with NewsNation's Chris Cuomo. In addition, the White House on Monday held an early morning briefing featuring border czar Tom Homan as it seeks to focus on immigration, which is a brighter spot in the president's polling. However, the raft of public opinion surveys released ahead of Trump's 100th day in office paint a stark picture early in his second term. Trump's job approval rating has cratered in most every major survey, with voters strongly disapproving of tariffs and Trump's handling of the economy, which was once his greatest strength. An NBC News survey released Sunday found 6 in 10 Americans disapproving of Trump's handling of the economy and tariffs and 60 percent saying the country is on the wrong track. Trump's approval rating on the economy fell by 5 points in the past month in the latest CNN survey, bringing it down to 38 percent, the lowest ever recorded in that poll on that issue. "When it gets to the economy, he is in very bad shape," GOP strategist Karl Rove told Fox News host Paul Gigot.
The New York Times/Siena College poll found 66 percent described Trump's second term so far as "chaotic."
The president is shedding support from key demographic groups that powered his 2024 victory, including Latino voters, with only 34 percent giving him a favorable job approval rating in the latest Reuters/Ispos survey. As recently as March, Trump had a net positive job approval rating in The Hill-Decision Desk HQ average of polls. Now, he's at the lowest point of his second term, with 44.7 percent approving and 52.8 percent disapproving.
Trump on Monday lashed out at pollsters in a posting on Truth Social. "These people should be investigated for ELECTION FRAUD," he wrote, mentioning polling from The New York Times, The Washington Post, ABC and Fox News.
The Hill's Brett Samuels has a comprehensive look here at where Trump's promises stand after 100 days in office. |
WHITE HOUSE FOCUSES ON STRENGTHS |
The White House is looking to train the focus on areas where the public is satisfied with Trump's early second term agenda, holding a press briefing early Monday to trumpet the administration's efforts to secure the border and deport illegal immigrants. "The results have been nothing short of extraordinary," White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said. Homan said they had effectively eliminated the practice of releasing illegal immigrants into the U.S. after they've been apprehended at the border, which is contrary to former President Biden's policy of allowing many to remain while they await immigration court hearings. "This is an unprecedented success," Homan said. Tonight, Trump will sign an executive order cracking down on sanctuary cities and another "unleashing America's law enforcement to pursue criminals," Leavitt said.
Over the weekend, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement announced nearly 800 arrests in a multiday enforcement endeavor in Florida called "Operation Tidal Wave."
And more than 100 people were taken into custody during a raid on an underground nightclub in Colorado Springs, which the administration said was a gathering spot for gang members.
"He's [Trump] off to a good start only on one issue, and that is border security, where his approval rating is 11 points ahead of his overall approval rating," Rove said. "He gets reasonably good marks on immigration and handling of deportations, but even those he's upside down on." |
Democrats will be fanning out to criticize Trump ahead of his 100th day in office, although the party is polling abysmally early in this second term. Former Vice President Harris will make the case against Trump in the keynote address at the Emerge gala on Wednesday, her first public remarks since leaving office.
Politico reports that several Democratic governors, including JB Pritzker (Ill.), Tim Walz (Minn.), Maura Healey (Mass.) and Kathy Hochul (N.Y.), will participate in a MeidasTouch town hall event Tuesday evening after Trump's speech.
The latest Washington Post-ABC News poll finds that despite Trump's low job approval, Americans trust the president over congressional Democrats by a 37-30 margin. More voters see Democrats as being out of touch "with the concerns of most people," according to the survey.
"What Democrats lack right now is a vision for the future," Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) said Sunday on NBC's "Meet the Press." |
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Connolly to leave top Dem spot on Oversight |
Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.) announced Monday he will vacate the top Democratic seat on the powerful Oversight and Government Reform Committee, saying his esophageal cancer has returned. Connolly also said he will not seek reelection when his ninth term comes to an end next year. That move could reignite intrigue over Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's (D-N.Y.) future. The 35-year-old Democrat challenged Connolly for the panel seat earlier this year, but lost handily. Still, the race exposed a Democratic rift between those advocating to reward experience and tenure, and those who want to pave the way for the next generation of leaders. The Oversight ranking member spot, which holds outsized importance for Democrats seeking to investigate Trump, must be filled within 30 days.
• Congress returned to town Monday after a two-week break, with GOP leaders beginning the difficult task of getting "one big, beautiful bill" containing Trump's governing agenda through the House and Senate. The Hill's Al Weaver and Mychael Schnell capture the dynamics, which will require virtually every Republican in the unruly House caucus to stick together: "After a last-minute scramble, both chambers last month adopted a blueprint laying out the parameters for the final bill. But the blueprint contained differing instructions for House and Senate committees on a host of issues, and it left debates between conservatives and moderates over spending cuts and taxes unresolved. Republicans must now reconcile those differences into a single bill that, in a narrow majority, passes muster with almost every single member of the conference."
That task could grow more difficult as Trump makes new demands and proposals. Over the weekend, Trump floated an income tax cut as a means of curtailing the potential impact of his tariffs. He's also mused about cutting taxes for millionaires, which is getting strong pushback from the right. Trump's tariffs are dividing Congress, as conservatives have historically viewed them as regressive taxes. Trump on Monday threatened to veto a bipartisan bill in the Senate to limit his authority over tariffs. The latest Gallup survey found that 70 percent of Americans believe tariffs will result in short term price hikes, and 62 percent believe the price hikes will persist in the long run. |
© Ukrainian Presidential Press Office via Associated Press
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Russia declares 3-day ceasefire after weekend attacks
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Russia is calling for a multiday ceasefire to go into effect next week to mark World War II Victory Day, after President Trump fumed at Russian President Vladimir Putin over the weekend for continuing his attacks on Ukraine. Putin wants the 72-hour ceasefire to begin May 8, although Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky are pushing for a permanent ceasefire as the two countries seek a deal to bring an end to the three-year-long war.
Trump met one-on-one with Zelensky over the weekend at Pope Francis's funeral. Zelensky called it a "good meeting," and the White House described it as "productive."
However, Trump later downplayed the exchange, saying Ukraine must be willing to recognize Russia's occupation of Crimea, which Zelensky says he will not do. "[Zelensky] told me that he needs more weapons, but he's been saying that for three years," Trump said. "I don't know how you can bring up Crimea," he added. "That's been a long time." Trump also seethed at Putin, accusing him of "tapping me along" after Russia launched hundreds of new drone strikes against Ukraine over the weekend. "There was no reason for Putin to be shooting missiles into civilian areas, cities and towns, over the last few days," Trump posted on social media.
"I wanted him to stop shooting, sit down and sign a deal," he later told reporters. "We have the confines of a deal, I believe. And I want him to sign it." The Trump administration says it's ready to walk away from negotiations if the two sides don't reach a deal soon. "This week is going to be a really important week in which we have to make a determination about whether this is an endeavor that we want to continue to be involved in, or if it's time to sort of focus on some other issues that are equally, if not more, important in some cases," Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on NBC's "Meet the Press." |
💡Perspectives: • The Free Press: Qatar and China are pouring billions into universities. • The Hill: When the going gets tough, Trump blinks. • The Hill: How universities should respond to Trump. |
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