| | | | 'The show is Trump, and it is sold-out performances everywhere' | | For months and months, when asked about the status of his White House, President Donald Trump would respond with something to the effect of: It's getting there, but it's not there yet.
This week suggests Trump has finally "gotten there" -- as in, he is now in full command of the message operation of the White House. And loving it.
A look through the week's major headlines -- which you can do below! -- shows just how much Trump is now doing exactly what he wants to be doing. He spent this week:
a) jousting with reporters (mostly friendly ones -- including three phone interviews with Fox News)
b) talking to celebrities at the White House (Kanye, obviously, but also Jeff Baxter of The Doobie Brothers and Mike Love of The Beach Boys)
c) holding campaign rallies (Trump was in Iowa on Monday, Pennsylvania on Wednesday and will be in Ohio tonight and Kentucky tomorrow)
The best way to understand Trump's presidency is to view him as he sees himself: A reality TV producer -- and star -- who is tasked with filling time every single day.
The only connective tissue from day to day is Trump's presence. It's why any attempt to look at things Trump said a month or even a week ago, and try to predict what it means about what he will say tomorrow, is totally pointless. Every day Trump makes up a new script for the show. He's the only constant.
"The show is Trump, and it is sold-out performances everywhere," Trump told Playboy magazine in a 1990 interview. While Trump's circumstances have changed since then -- he is now, um, President -- his approach to the world has not. In fact, if anything, his experience in electoral politics has convinced Trump more than ever that the key to his success is to put on a good show. And that the way to do that is to put himself front and center.
The Point: If Trump has any say, this week will be a blueprint for a whole lot of weeks to come in his presidency. This is who he is -- and who he wants to be as President.
-- Chris
Monday: Tuesday: Wednesday: Thursday: Friday: | | "Well, Governor Wolf, let me tell you what, between now and Nov. 6, you better put a catcher's mask on your face, because I'm going to stomp all over your face with golf spikes."
-- Pennsylvania Republican gubernatorial candidate Scott Wagner in an angry rant posted in a video on his Facebook page. Wagner was upset over attack ads from Democratic opponent Gov. Tom Wolf. | | | You like her, you really like her! (Especially if you're a Republican man over the age of 65).
First lady Melania Trump's approval rating has scooted back up after taking a dip this summer -- she's currently holding solid at 54% approval per new polling from CNN and SPSS.
Republicans especially like the self-described "most bullied person in the world:" 83% view her favorably.
She also plays best among the oldest age group polled: 66% of voters 65 and older have a favorable opinion of the first lady. | | CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE, SENATE EDITION | |  | 5 possible midterm Senate scenarios | | | Check out Chris's latest look at the Senate map -- with five possibilities for what could happen -- and subscribe to CNN's YouTube channel for more! | | | It's Friday and I'm in love ... with this glorious fall weather in Washington. BRB -- I'll be sloshing through leaves, decorating gourds and blasting this Cure classic for the rest of the day. | | | Today's topic: When it comes to the Texas Senate race, it's important to remember that money doesn't equal victory | | Holy haul. Texas Democratic Senate candidate Beto O'Rouke just raised more than Jeb(!) Bush raised during his entire 2016 campaign.
The Democrat trying to unseat Sen. Ted Cruz (and who is trailing in the polls to Cruz) is making headlines with his latest fundraising haul: $38.1 million in just the past three months.
Chris has more on what that fundraising haul actually tells us.
You know what $38 million can buy? A lot of breakfast tacos.
In other Beto news, Robert DeNiro (yes, the actor) says the Democrat should take on Trump in 2020 ... because "you need somebody who can beat him at his own game." ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ | | Hurricane Michael may have been just a post-tropical low as it moved offshore this morning, but it still left a swath of destruction in its wake.
The storm's death toll has risen to at least 13 and is expected to climb. Five of the deaths have been reported in Virginia and four in Florida.
At least 1.3 million are without power across seven states and Georgia experienced "severe" crop damage to areas with pecans, cotton, vegetable and peanut crops. | | | From Brenna: "Speaker Paul Ryan pointing at himself is basically me when accused of drinking the last office LaCroix. (For the record, our last office LaCroix was Cran-Rasberry and I would rather drink anti-freeze. The mystery continues...) If you like GIFs, you'll love our weekly GIFticle just as much as you love sharing The Point with your friends." | | | | | | |
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