ELECTION/GOVERNMENT/POLLS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump’s political team has concluded that shutting down the government hasn’t damaged his 2020 prospects — if anything, they’re convinced it’s bolstered his standing in key electoral battlegrounds. Trump campaign manager Brad Parscale commissioned a survey taken during the final days of the shutdown that was conducted by respected GOP pollsters Neil Newhouse and Robert Blizzard. The poll, surveying 10 GOP-leaning House districts that Democrats won in the 2018 midterms, found that a plurality of voters blamed Trump for the shutdown. But a plurality of voters also supported his push for a border wall. Trump is expected to be briefed on the new numbers on Monday evening, according to a person familiar with the plans. The poll has been released as the president faces blowback from across the political spectrum over the five-week shutdown. The survey conflicts with other data showing that Trump’s poll numbers were damaged by the episode.”
–Alex Isenstadt, “Trump campaign says president bolstered by shutdown,” Politico, January 28, 2019 4:50 pm