| | | | Donald Trump made a very bad deal. But why? | | On Wednesday afternoon, President Donald Trump sided with Democrats on a deal to extend the debt ceiling for three months, keep the government open through mid-December and secure nearly $8 billion in relief funds for victims of Hurricane Harvey.
The compromise -- coming, essentially, after the opening bid by Democrats -- stunned congressional Republicans, who had wanted a much longer extension of the debt ceiling, perhaps through the 2018 midterm elections.
The obvious question in the wake of this stunning development: Why? As in, why would Trump make a deal with Democrats that so obviously disadvantages his party in Congress?
The answer -- I think -- is that Trump, at root, is not driven by a set of (or any) ideological beliefs. Prior to running for president in 2016, he had been all over the map in terms of both party affiliation and policy beliefs.
The core of Trump is not ideological or party. It is winning -- or, at least, the appearance of winning. He likes signing ceremonies -- "Who's going to get the pen?" -- and the ability to declare victory.
Making this deal allowed him that -- a chance to go to the public and say, "I cut this deal to keep the government open, to make sure Harvey victims got their money and to make sure we keep our excellent credit ratings."
Trump is all about winning. The lack of obvious wins is what has left him so frustrated during his first eight months in office.
He viewed this deal -- despite the fact that many in his administration and Republican congressional leaders opposed it -- as a chance to win. So, he took it.
End of story.
-- Chris | | Thanks to all of you who emailed us your thoughts on President Donald Trump's decision to rescind DACA! Here are some of the most interesting and thoughtful reactions we received in our inboxes. *Note: Some of them have been abridged for publication* - Archit Kalra: "This is ghastly! It seems unimaginable to deport one to an unknown land and expect them to entirely fit in. Just because they are the children of immigrants doesn't mean they know everything about their home hitherto. It seems clever of Trump to just throw his problem away at Congress, but now the future of the Dreamers rests in uncertainty!"
- Paul Bovarnick: "The end of DACA will likely have serious consequences to those who remain in this country, far more serious than we can yet imagine. The end of DACA will damage the economy, rend the faith that many Americans have in our nation, and seriously damage our standing in the world. ... But beyond the political consequences are the more than 800,000 human tragedies that will follow Trump's and Congress' failure. I am having a hard time wrapping my head around the pain and misery this will cause."
- J. Vejar: "Great, that's the way it should be. ... Now let Congress get off their butts and work together in order to fix this mess. If they had done what they were elected to do and represent voting Americans from their districts this would have been taken care of long ago. The problem is that because of political pressure for them to keep office, they don't want to make a decision on issues; piss anyone off and take a chance of losing their position in office so they ride the fence on all issues without taking a stand on anything!!!!!"
- Terry Moulton: "This situation, and the proposed wall, result from Congress' failure to achieve immigration reform. They had a chance during the Obama administration. 45 has presented them with another chance now."
| | Before he jetted to North Dakota to promote his plan for tax reform today, President Trump tweeted: "Will be going to North Dakota today to discuss tax reform and tax cuts. We are the highest taxed nation in the world -- that will change."
It's a claim -- the United States is the highest taxed nation in the world -- he's made a lot over the past two-plus years. It's also totally wrong.
I can prove it's wrong in a simple GIF (above), courtesy of Michael Linden, a fellow at the Roosevelt Institute.
The data to back up that helpful animation comes from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. It shows that Denmark is the highest taxed country in the world while Mexico and Turkey are the lowest. (You can check out the full release on the data here; and the full data set from the OECD, dating back to 1965, here). | | | Lord Huron's "The Night We Met" from his "Strange Trails" album. Listen on Spotify. | | "It looks like it could be something that will be not good. Believe me, not good."
-President Donald Trump on Hurricane Irma | | | 'WHAT HAPPENED'? NOW WE KNOW | | CNN's Dan Merica and Kevin Liptak purchased Hillary Clinton's anticipated book -- "What Happened" -- from a Jacksonville, Florida, bookstore a week before its widespread release. They wrote a deep dive (which you can read here). The book, they write, "offers a patchwork of explanations for what, exactly, did happen last year -- some of which she insists were outside her control and some she concedes were her own fault."
Chris did a take here, in which he analyzes why Clinton is right about why she lost "but, Clinton's analysis -- while broadly accurate -- misses (or takes for granted) a few things that should not be missed or taken for granted." | | Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders doesn't have much of a response to Clinton's book, in which she blasts Sanders for "lasting damage" in the 2016 race.
"My response is that right now it's appropriate to look forward and not backward," Sanders told The Hill after a Democratic press event responding to Trump's decision to end DACA.
"I'm working overtime now to see we overturn Trump's decision on DACA, pass a $15-an-hour minimum wage, and next week I'll be offering a Medicare-for-all single-payer system," he added. | | | Photo courtesy: Screenshot/YouTube | | | California Sen. Kamala Harris on Tuesday night actually laughed out loud when MSNBC host Lawrence O'Donnell asked her about running for president in 2020. "Well, I guess you'll just continue to think about what you might do in 2020, and we can talk about it the next time," O'Donnell said before the interview came to an end. "Lawrence, I don't even know what I'm having for dinner," Harris joked while laughing.
Watch the full exchange on YouTube. | | Republican Rep. Dave Reichert, of Washington, announced Wednesday he is leaving Congress at the end of 2018.
"After spending time during the August work period with family and friends, reflecting on the past, discussing the future, and celebrating another birthday, I have decided this will be my last term and I will not run for re-election in November 2018. It was not an easy decision but I believe it was the right one for my family and me. I have spent my entire career and devoted my life to service. I see this not just as a job, but as a calling -- a calling I will not walk away from."
As Washington Post's Dave Weigel pointed out, his retirement creates "a political opportunity for Democrats. ... Reichert was elected in 2004 and is one of 23 Republicans who represents a district where voters picked Hillary Clinton for president over Donald Trump." | | | We hope you put in the effort (like POTUS above) and tell people you know to subscribe to The Point. | | 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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