Donald Trump has had a week that would make Alexander feel a lot better about his really bad day. Courts have turned down his requests. His party’s attempt to remove voters was a failure. His approval ratings are getting worse. And the big construction projects at the White House, which Trump once said would cost nothing, are now part of a plan that’s almost $1 billion.
First, there was Nebraska.
Republicans took the courts to challenge a law that let some Americans living abroad vote in the state where their parents used to live. The number of people affected by this was only 116. Lancaster County District Judge Ryan Post not only rejected the Republican National Committee’s lawsuit but also said they couldn’t bring the same case again.
Then came Harvard.
A federal judge, Richard Stearns, dismissed the Trump Justice Department’s lawsuit against the university, another blow to the campaign to change elite universities using federal money and government power.
Next, there was Trump’s obsession with the ballroom.
New estimates show the total cost of White House construction and security projects is over $900 million, mainly for his huge, ugly new ballroom. After saying private donors would pay for it, it’s clear taxpayers are paying most of the cost. Trump now has to ask the Supreme Court for help after lower courts stopped him from moving forward without congressional approval.
Then there’s the Justice Department.
It’s lost so many times trying to get state voter rolls that NBC’s Kristen Welker asked Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche about the number of losses on Sunday. It was 22.”Is it time to stop this fight?” Welker asked. “We’re not going to stop,” Blanche replied, saying the administration might take the case to the Supreme Court.
Finally, there are the polls.
The RCP average shows Trump about 20 points behind, and an Economist poll found only 34 percent of people approve of his performance, with 61 percent disapproving. Even long-time conservative icon Peggy Noonan has noticed a change, writing that Trump’s position in the political world has become more unstable as Iran, economic worries, and a stronger left push against him.
Any president can have a bad week.
What’s special is that Trump’s political strength has always partly relied on the belief that he can avoid consequences, beat his opponents, and eventually get what he wants.
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