ECONOMY/ELECTION/INVESTIGATIONS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Inside the White House, President Donald Trump is in a rut. His administration faces a raft of investigations from House Democrats on everything from Russia to abuses of power. His summit with North Korea’s dictator went bust. His former personal attorney Michael Cohen trashed him spectacularly during a seven-hour hearing last week that offered a road map for future investigations. And the Republican Senate is gearing up to vote against his national emergency declaration. That’s just the past seven days. Looking ahead, Trump has a thin policy agenda beyond a hoped-for trade deal and plans to slash more regulations. The invigorating energy of the 2020 campaign trail awaits, but not for several months. Trump has tried to spin this moment of his presidency — in which he faces perhaps more threats than at any time since his election — as one that is ‘off script’ and purposefully so by design. But this ‘off-script’ moment also marks a new normal inside the Trump White House, say several Republicans close to the administration. Even as political and legal setbacks pile up, the strong economy and emerging 2020 Democratic field continue to give his allies hope for his reelection.”
–Nancy Cook and Caitlin Oprysko, “Trump clings to economy as woes mount,” Politico, March 5, 2019 6:23 pm