| | | | Republicans really hate their own leaders in DC | | There's always something of a gap between a party's base of activist supporters and its elected leaders. Right now, that gap is a yawning chasm for the GOP.
Consider this: In January, 75% of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents approved of their party's congressional leadership. Now? Just 39% approve, according to a new CNN poll.
That bears repeating: Less than four in 10 REPUBLICANS approve of the job REPUBLICAN congressional leaders are doing.
But wait, there's more! Republicans are split evenly on the question of whether the GOP-controlled Congress has been a failure or a success. And, as CNN's Ryan Struyk notes: "Even three quarters of people who approve of Trump say they disapprove of Congress (76%) and a plurality (48%) says the GOP-led legislature has been a failure."
That's striking stuff -- even when you factor in the fact that Washington and the politicians who inhabit it haven't been popular in quite a while.
What accounts for the surging dissatisfaction among Republicans with their leaders? It's hard to pin it to any one thing, but there's no question that when Republicans won the White House and kept control of the House and Senate in the 2016 election, there was an expectation among their base that things would start getting done.
Number one on that list was the repeal and replacement of the Affordable Care Act. And it didn't happen. And it likely won't. And Donald Trump, who remains popular (if not as popular) with the Republican base, is doing everything he can to draw attention to the failure of Senate leaders to get health care repealed -- in a series of tweets and statements attacking Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.
Republican base voters are disappointed. And angry. And convinced, now more than ever, that their leaders don't really lead. Which would be a problem even if the Republican President of the United States wasn't attacking the GOP Congress for exactly the same thing.
Mix it all together and you have a very potent -- and toxic -- brew.
-- Chris | | THE TRUMP-MCCONNELL RELATIONSHIP, AS TOLD BY TWEETS | | It's no secret that President Donald Trump is annoyed at Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. On Thursday, he continued his public attacks on McConnell on Twitter.
This isn't the first time Trump has shared his thoughts about McConnell.
CNN's Liz Stark examined their tumultuous relationship by looking through Trump's tweets. Here's a look at some of the tweets, dating back to 2013. - January 1, 2013: "What is Mitch McConnell thinking?...make the big deal!" The first time Trump mentioned McConnell on Twitter dates back to January 2013, when Republicans and Democrats in Congress were edging closer toward a fiscal cliff. As then-Senate Minority Leader McConnell was in the middle of brokering a Senate compromise with Vice President Joe Biden, Trump encouraged McConnell to execute on "the big deal." Trump mentioned McConnell in two other tweets in 2013.
- May 23, 2014: "Congrats to @Team_Mitch on winning a spirited primary. Great job Mitch." Trump offered a congratulatory tweet for McConnell's victory in the 2014 Republican primary race, as the five-term senator defeated Tea Party-backed challenger Matt Bevin. This tweet was the first of four mentioning McConnell in 2014.
- During the campaign ... May 12, 2016: "Great meeting with @SenateMajLdr Mitch McConnell and Republican leaders in D.C. #Trump2016" Trump posted a black and white photo of himself speaking with McConnell in May 2016, in what Trump referred to as a "great meeting" with the Senate majority leader. Trump was nearing the end of that contentious presidential primary that featured several members of McConnell's caucus exchanging fiery rhetoric with the eventual GOP nominee.
- Fast forward to Trump in office --> January 26, 2017: "Spoke at the Congressional @GOP Retreat in Philadelphia, PA. this afternoon w/ @VP, @SenateMajLdr, @SpeakerRyan. Thank you for your support!" Less than a week after Trump's inauguration, the President tweeted a link to his speech at a private retreat for Republican lawmakers in Pennsylvania. The video features Trump exchanging handshakes with McConnell, along with Vice President Mike Pence and House Speaker Paul Ryan.
- July 14, 2017: "So impt Rep Senators, under leadership of @SenateMajLdr McConnell get healthcare plan approved. After 7yrs of O'Care disaster, must happen!" In mid-July, Trump sent a series of tweets urging GOP senators to work with McConnell to repeal and replace Obamacare, which he called a "disaster."
- July 29, 2017: "The very outdated filibuster rule must go. Budget reconciliation is killing R's in Senate. Mitch M, go to 51 Votes NOW and WIN. IT'S TIME!" Just days after the GOP's Obamacare repeal effort failed in the chamber, Trump railed against Senate rules requiring 60 votes to overcome a filibuster. He specifically told McConnell to get rid of the filibuster rule, telling him "it's time" to change the rules.
- August 9, 2017: "Senator Mitch McConnell said I had 'excessive expectations,' but I don't think so. After 7 years of hearing Repeal & Replace, why not done?" Speaking at an event in Kentucky Monday, McConnell expressed frustration with the President's expectations about achieving his administration's agenda. "Our new President, of course, has not been in this line of work before," said McConnell according to CNN affiliate WCPO which covered the event. "I think he had excessive expectations about how quickly things happen in the democratic process." Trump then slammed McConnell Wednesday, questioning the Senate majority leader's unfulfilled promise to repeal and replace Obamacare.
- August 10, 2017 (today!): "Can you believe that Mitch McConnell, who has screamed Repeal & Replace for 7 years, couldn't get it done. Must Repeal & Replace ObamaCare!" It all led up to Trump's tweet Thursday morning, in which the President again criticized McConnell for failing to pass a GOP health care plan. Trump followed up with an additional tweet six hours later, urging McConnell to "get back to work" on health care, tax reform and infrastructure legislation. He signed off with a somewhat encouraging message: "You can do it!"
| | Short-lived White House communications director Anthony Scaramucci is speaking out about that interview with The New Yorker's Ryan Lizza. On Twitter, he compared Lizza to Linda Tripp, known as the person who turned over secretly recorded conversations between her and Monica Lewinsky about her relationship with former President Bill Clinton. Lewinsky's response? A wide-eyed and blushing emoji on Twitter.
Can't wait to watch the Mooch on "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert" on Monday. | | | For all of us non-cool kids who didn't get to go to Newport Folk Festival this year, NPR has us covered with this recording of Wilco, Live in Concert. | | | Behold: A giant inflatable chicken, meant to resemble President Donald Trump, chilling near the White House on Wednesday afternoon. Balloon owner and documentary filmmaker Taran Singh Brar told USA Today that "he wanted to make a statement about the President being a 'weak and ineffective leader.'"
It certainly made a statement -- Trump-esque chicken made headlines all afternoon, and many flocked to take photos of it or with it. | | The Statue of Liberty became a trending topic on Twitter Thursday after Breitbart editor John Carney expressed frustration over the VOGUE cover featuring actress Jennifer Lawrence posed with Lady Liberty in the background.
"It's clearly an allusion to our current immigration debate, taking the #poemlaw side," Carney said in a follow-up tweet (which has since been deleted) in response to a Washington Examiner reporter.
But as POLITICO's Hadas Gold pointed out on Twitter: "Vogue tells me this was shot first week of June. Magazine covers, *especially* September Vogue issue planned months in advance." | | | The Washington Post published a great feature called "Border wall hits close to home" on Thursday, where reporters interviewed five Hispanic members of the House who have at least one parent who immigrated to the United States about Trump's immigration crackdown. | | | Photo courtesy: Facebook.com/screenshot | | Facebook is now one step closer to becoming a TV network. The Mark Zuckerberg-owned social media platform on Thursday announced it is going to roll out original shows made by media partners including Buzzfeed, Tastemade, Refinery29, Mashable and ATTN. The shows will be available on a new tab on Facebook called "Watch."
Mashable's Kerry Flynn reported:
"Facebook has been tip-toeing into original video content. The company paid publishers, including Mashable, to create live videos shortly after Facebook's live product was released. Now, Facebook is making a much bigger push into TV-like shows including reality content as well as scripted programs. Why? One big reason is money. Facebook makes the majority of its revenue from digital advertising, which has been mostly of the direct response type. With this initiative, the company is now better able to cut into the $70 billion TV advertising market that tech companies are salivating for. The initiative has been a long time coming for Facebook and its partners. Facebook hired CollegeHumor cofounder Ricky Van Veen as its head of global creative strategy in June 2016. Mina Lefevre, formerly head of scripted for MTV, joined as head of development in February this year." | | | Since it's throwback Thursday, Brenna found a Biden GIF from 2006. Enjoy! And remind everyone to subscribe. | | We'd love to share our other newsletters with you. Follow this link for daily coverage of the world's top stories, savvy market insights, an insider's look into the media, and more. Our authors for The Point are Chris Cillizza and Saba Hamedy. Send your tips and thoughts via email to Chris or Saba. Follow on Twitter: Chris and Saba. | | | Get the Nightcap, a comprehensive summary of the most important political news, delivered to your inbox daily. | | | | | |
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