CONGRESS/DEMS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/WALL: “You might say that Donald Trump’s presidency seems to be heading toward a wall. Trump strode down the center aisle of the House of Representatives chamber Tuesday [2-5-19] night just as he did at last year’s State of the Union. Once again, he stuck to a script – an evening for Teleprompter Trump, not Twitter Trump – that outlined a legislative agenda most animated by a hard line on illegal immigration. He again credited his leadership for the nation’s economic health. But here’s what was different this time: The political landscape arrayed before him was considerably less friendly, and his future more in peril. Trump was loath to acknowledge the changes or adjust his approach to accommodate them. But the empowered Democratic opposition that spent much of the evening making a point of not clapping will complicate his ability to build a barrier along the Mexico border or deliver on any other proposal he proudly detailed. The continuing confrontations could lead to another partial government shutdown as soon as next week. In the most dire case, they could challenge his hold on the presidency.”
–Susan Page, “Analysis: Trump delivers State of the Union in the same place but faces a new political reality,” USA Today, February 6, 2019 12:15 pm