TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump hinted last week that one theme of his State of the Union address on Tuesday [2-5-19] will be unity. The current state of his presidency: turbulence and uncertainty. Trump will deliver his call for harmony in a new era of divided government and at a time when he has been weakened politically by a just-ended government shutdown – the longest in U.S. history – and by other factors that, according to a recent Associated Press poll, have driven his approval rating to near the lowest of his presidency. House Democrats are back in power and spoiling for a fight. (See ‘government shutdown.’) Senate Republicans are restless and suddenly willing to stand up to their commander-in-chief. (See ‘Syria.’) Special counsel Robert Mueller is still investigating possible Russian coordination with his presidential campaign and still issuing indictments. (See ‘Roger Stone.’) Going against such powerful headwinds, it will be hard for Trump to accomplish much of anything in the coming year, no matter what agenda he lays out in his State of the Union address, political analysts say.”
–Michael Collins, “State of the Union: Politically wounded from the shutdown, Trump faces a tough time with his agenda,” USA Today, February 5, 2019 4:29 pm