Trump approval rating bounces back after immigration changes
Trump approval rating bounces back after White House makes immigration changes
Welcome to the latest edition of Washington Secrets. Today we hear from the White House and its relief that the President’s approval ratings have turned a corner after plunging during the crisis in Minnesota, we get the low-down on the financial impact of six inches of snow on the nation’s capital (tldr it would be worth spending more on snow removal efforts) and we hear from the MAGA singer on a mission to take down the Boss …
President Donald Trump’s approval ratings show signs of bouncing back after his administration changed tack, softening tactics and replacing personnel overseeing immigration enforcement in Minnesota.
A new poll by InsiderAdvantage puts the president’s approval rating back at 50%, which is where it was in December before two protesters were shot dead in Minneapolis.
The conservative polling firm tends to produce numbers favorable to the Trump White House. But the trend is reflected in the RealClearPolitics average of polls, which has the approval rate ticking up by almost three-quarters of a point since its low two weeks ago.
The numbers have been greeted with a sigh of relief inside the White House, where officials said it illustrated how a course correction, shaking up enforcement personnel, had eased public concern.
They had watched how immigration, one of the president’s most popular policies, had become a liability.
A string of analysts suggested video of Border Patrol agents killing Alex Pretti — the second of two fatal shootings — could mark a turning point, alienating voters who supported a border crackdown but who were horrified by the sight of masked agents on the streets of American cities.
While other polling firms say the president’s ratings could sink further as results from other surveys that launched in late January come in, InsiderAdvantage pollster Matt Towery said he was already seeing more positive results.
“In our latest round of polling (over the past two weeks), we have seen Trump’s approval drop to a 43% immediately following the shooting and death of a man by ICE agents in Minnesota, only to rebound to the 50% level following a replacement of leadership of ICE efforts in that state,” he said.
Gregory Bovino, the bullish commander-at-large of Border Patrol, was replaced in Minneapolis by Tom Homan, Trump’s border czar.
Homan has long advocated a policy that targets violent immigrants with criminal backgrounds. And he declined to comment on the circumstances of the two shootings until investigations were completed, unlike other officials who rushed to judgment, blaming the victims for their own deaths.
Towery said the poll marked a shift back and forth within the same margins as the last presidential election.
“Certain issues arise and his numbers fall slightly, then other events take place and returns to higher numbers,” he said, although he warned that the Republican outlook for the midterm elections remained “dicey.”
The survey of 1,000 likely voters has a margin of error of three percentage points.
Taylor Rogers, White House spokeswoman, welcomed the numbers.
“President Trump has the greatest instincts in American politics, which is why he reset the mainstream media’s narrative to focus on the Administration’s commonsense policies to keep the American people safe,” she told Secrets.
“President Trump wants to remove violent illegal alien criminals while elected Democrat officials fight to protect them — we know who Americans are going to side with.”
Two other polls show the possible danger for Trump. An Ipsos poll published on Monday shows that 62% of people believe that ICE officers had gone too far.
And a Pew Research Center poll found that 54% of the public believes that it is unacceptable for agents to arrest U.S. citizens who help others avoid immigration enforcement.
TOM HOMAN PULLS 700 FEDERAL OFFICERS FROM MINNESOTA
How six inches of snow cost Washington $100 million
The snow and ice are still piled up in streets and sidewalks some 11 days after the nation’s capital was brought to a halt by wintry weather. At the same time, the economic fallout is just becoming clear.
Analysis by Steward Redqueen estimates that about 40% of D.C.’s 400,000-strong workforce was simply unable to work for three days last week. The restaurant sector saw sales plunge 85%.
Once those numbers are plugged into a financial model that accounts for indirect impact, the total cost of the snowfall comes in at $80 to $100 million. That works out at 12 times the budget allocated for snow removal.
Anyone stuck at home, unable to work or sick of tramping through iced-up crosswalks or flummoxed by gridlocked streets, will agree with the conclusions of the analysis: The city would be much better off allocating more money to snow removal contingencies.
Trump supporters take on Springsteen in the charts
One of MAGA’s biggest musical stars is coming for Bruce Springsteen.
“Streets of Minneapolis,” the Boss’s anti-ICE protest song, charted at No. 1 on Billboard’s Digital Song Sales chart this week.
Now Natasha Owens, known for her brand of Christian worship songs and praise for Trump, has recorded “The Boss” in response.
“I was born in the U.S.A., And I used to be a fan,” runs the lyric, all delivered above the sort of thumping beat found on big Springsteen numbers. “You preach from your mansion, And you’ve lost that human touch.”
Owens’ most recent single was the “Somali Waltz,” about fraud in Minnesota.
“Bruce Springsteen is an iconic artist and prolific songwriter who has been the voice of Americans for generations,” she told Secrets.
“The Boss had to be written for all his fans who are heartbroken.”
Gavin Newsom sat by his mother during her assisted suicide, and came to terms with anger and grief: “Newsom, a potential Democratic candidate for president, has seldom spoken of the chapter in his family’s life, which is likely to generate controversy if he enters the race. Assisted suicide, at the time, was illegal in California and remains illegal in all but 12 states and the District of Columbia, according to the advocacy group Death with Dignity.”
Trump called on Republicans to nationalize voting. What does that mean? Trump did not specify which states or jurisdictions he believes Republicans should target, nor did he outline any specific legal or legislative pathway to accomplish such a move. So what is he proposing?
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