Americans Rated Speech Higher Than Trump

President Trump’s inaugural speech recorded a 49 percent “excellent” or “good” rating and a 39 percent “fair” or “poor” from a sample of 1,762 American voters who heard the speech. In the poll conducted by Politico/Morning Consult, 65 percent liked the “America First” message and 61 percent agreed with the government should “buy American and hire American.”

However, Trump’s approval rating among all American voters in the poll (1,922) was only 46 percent, nearly equal to a Gallup poll conducted the same time, which gave him a 45 percent approval (Gallup, Jan. 20-22, N1525, and Politico/Morning Consult, Jan. 20-22).

President Trump at the inauguration, Jan. 20, 2016 | Getty

Trump’s Approval Rating at Record Low

President Donald Trump got his first post-inaugural approval rating, and it was low – 45 percent approve and 45 percent disapprove.

It was expected. He won with only a plurality (46%) of the national vote, the country remains closely divided, and most importantly, the transition was controversial, and by early January was producing more negative ratings of approval and favorability than positive.

But Trump is taking action and Republicans in Congress are supportive. This poll shows 90 percent of Republicans approve his performance. Approval ratings will not become important unless either they begin to move down or up or until an election comes within sight or both.

But for now, President Trump operates with slightly more than two-fifths of the public supporting him. Can he get to 50 percent?

Read Politico: Poll: Trump’s opening weekend gets lowest approval of modern era

Trump Starts a Border War – Populism From Left Sweeping Into Mexico

• “America First” will affect many countries and not always to the benefit of America’s foreign policy. 
• Not all populist movements come from the right. Mexico is moving to the left.

Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto has a 12 percent approval rating, with a painful two more years to serve. François Hollande, the socialist president of France, has a 12 percent approval, and has wisely decided not to stand for another election. The main populist opposition in France approaches from the right.

The populist opposition to Peña Nieto comes from the left in the form of Andrés Manuel López Obrador, the former mayor of Mexico City who has challenged the two establishment parties for more than a decade. López Obrador almost won the presidency in 2006 against the center right PAN party candidate Felipe Calderón. Peña Nieto’s PRI, which was the old revolutionary ruling party, morphed in recent years into a more centrist organization and beat Calderón in 2012.

Donald Trump’s rhetoric and the proposed policies toward Mexico are the major contributors to Peña Nieto’s collapse. The border wall, hostile references to Mexican immigrants, renegotiation of NAFTA and demanding manufacturers wishing to sell in America, build in America have put the Mexican economy into a crisis and the political and business establishment on the defensive. Peña Nieto’s meeting with Trump last fall helped Trump, but was a disaster for Peña Nieto.

Peña Nieto was a reformer and it has cost him support among the status quo interest groups. Education reform opposed by teachers’ union and more competition in the monopolistic oil industry have led to social conflict. The oil and gas effort sparked riots as prices increased. Peña Nieto and the PRI also suffer from an image of corruption in a country that has little trust in major institutions. Mr. Trump may deal with a very hostile socialist-oriented Mexican government in 2018.

See Wall Street Journal: Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto loses support, poll finds

Trump Rally Breaks 20000 in Near Record Speed

The Dow rally that began after the November 8 election pushed through 19000 on November 22, a gain of 668 points. Another 1000 points was added in the last two months, a near Dow record for speed. The last surge moving this fast was in 2007 when 14000 was hit after a mere 59 days. The Great Recession began the next year. The peak in that boom was hit on October 9, 2007 at 14164 (it took more than 5 years to recover on March 5, 2013).

The more than 9 percent gain in eleven weeks is a record in president-elect history of Dow rallies. It has been accompanied by a near doubling of investor confidence. Clearly, it reflects a reservoir of investment energy that has been damned up by the sense that the tax and regulatory policies of the last eight years would continue and possibly become even more restrictive.

Although there is still considerable concern about Donald Trump’s presidential temperament, his business and Republican establishment appointments have been highly reassuring for the market.

New Right Authors Inaugural Speech

The White House admitted the inaugural speech was written by White House chief strategist Steve Bannon and senior advisor Stephen Miller. The two Steves are leading doctrinaires of the new administration’s direction. The inaugural speech was a textbook definition of the populist and nationalist approach Donald Trump has advocated for 18 months.

A dark, uncompromising speech that began with an attack on the Washington establishment across the board:

“For too long, a small group in our nation’s capital has reaped the rewards of government while the people have borne the cost. Washington flourished, but the people did not share in its wealth. Politicians prospered, but the jobs left and the factories closed. The establishment protected itself, but not the citizens of our country…That all changes starting right here and right now because this moment is your moment. It belongs to you.”

It offered a dark vision of American carnage:

“But for too many of our citizens, a different reality exists: mothers and children trapped in poverty in our inner cities; rusted out factories scattered like tombstones across the landscape of our nation; an education system flush with cash, but which leaves our young and beautiful students deprived of all knowledge; and the crime and the gangs and the drugs that have stolen too many lives and robbed our country of so much unrealized potential. 

This American carnage stops right here and stops right now.”

It then provided an intense nationalism that closes borders and puts America ahead of everyone else:

“We assembled here today are issuing a new decree to be heard in every city, in every foreign capital, and in every hall of power. From this day forward, a new vision will govern out land. From this day forward, it’s going to be only America first, America first. 

Every decision on trade, on taxes, on immigration, on foreign affairs will be made to benefit American workers and American families. We must protect our borders from the ravages of other countries making our products, stealing our companies and destroying our jobs.”

Finally, to implement the vision, it required the full attention the all-sacrificing leader:

“I will fight for you with every breath in my body and I will never ever let you down. America will start winning again, winning like never before…The time for empty talk is over. Now arrives the hour of action.”

Though it ended with patriotic sentiments of national unity, it was generally a tightly crafted statement of 2017 populism and economic nationalism that Bannon and Miller ascribe to. The speech was immediately seen by the European right forces as a manifesto that speaks to their movements.

The Trump administration represents significant change. With the new cabinet designees, aggressive White House staff and the inaugural direction, the Washington establishment on both sides of the aisle should hang on.

Read The Buzz blogs:
European nationalists cheer Trump
Populism dominates 2017 European politics

European Nationalists Cheer Trump

Donald Trump’s inaugural address was excitedly received by European populists and anti-globalists at a conference of Euro skeptics and anti-immigrants leaders held in Germany. The continent’s top far-right political leaders see Donald Trump’s victory and his aggressive populist (anti-establishment) and nationalist (own country first, closed borders) themes as a positive sign that Western elites everywhere are losing power.

The inaugural speech itself has many anti-establishment and nationalist lines that appealed to Europe’s right wing political groups.

“For too long, a small group in our nation’s capital has reaped the rewards of government while the people have borne the cost. Washington flourished, but the people did not share in its wealth. Politicians prospered, but the jobs left and the factories closed…Every decision on trade, on taxes, on immigration, on foreign affairs will be made to benefit American workers and American families. We must protect our borders from the ravages of other countries making our products, stealing our companies and destroying our jobs.”

Marine Le Pen, the highest profile participant, said about Trump, “He will not support a system that oppresses the people.”

The European elections in 2017 will provide numerous opportunities to advance the candidates and agenda of the right starting on March 15 with Dutch parliamentary elections under the well-established leadership of anti-Islamist Geert Wilders. Elections are scheduled or are likely in France, Germany and Italy and in each, populist forces are energized.

Read:
Wall Street Journal: Boosted by Trump, Europe’s anti-EU parties unite
NBC News: Marine Le Pen, Europe’s nationalist leaders kick off year of election hopes

More than 100,000 Fill Civic Center

More than 100,000 demonstrators for women’s and minority rights with lots of anti-President Trump signs filled Civic Center. They joined half a million marchers in Washington, D.C., and millions worldwide in a show of passion for a variety of causes, but mostly opposing the Trump agenda, especially on social issues. It is a sign that polarization continues in the U.S. and that the anti-Trump forces are equal to Trump’s when they feel threatened.

It is not clear if the rally will become a movement, but the next few years will not likely just be a wait for a 2018 midterm vote. Saturday launched a reinvigorated left after the disappointing election result. America is very likely to see direct political action all the way to November 2018.

Civic Center, Jan. 21, 2017
Credit: Andy Cross/Denver Post