Three Trump Retreats in Three Weeks

3

First Read notes that in less than three weeks, President Trump has made three different retreats: Reaching a deal with Mexico to avert tariffs – a deal that largely consisted of actions that Mexico had already agreed to; backing down on military strikes against Iran for shooting down a U.S. drone; delaying his plan for nationwide raids to deport undocumented immigrants.

Axelrod: Biden’s Strategy Not Viable

“It is not a tenable strategy… His message is that he’s the guy who can beat Donald Trump and he is viewed as the least risky choice. Over time, if the only interactions he has is around these screwups and gaffes, then he is going to start losing that message.”

— David Axelrod, quoted by the Daily Beast, saying Joe’s Biden’s media avoidance strategy isn’t viable.

Trump Facing 15 Investigations

15

“President Trump is facing a hurdle no other president has — an unprecedented onslaught of investigations into almost every recent organization he has led,” Politico reports. “In total, Trump faces at least 15 criminal or civil inquiries by nine federal, state and city agencies into his business, his charity, his campaign, his inaugural committee and his personal finances.”

Buttigieg Describes After-Affects of Afghanistan Deployment

“Of course, it’s the effect of having been exposed to danger,.. I think, also, some moral pressure. Any time, in any way, you are even remotely involved in killing, it takes something out of you, and it takes a lot of work to process that.”

— Pete Buttigieg, quoted by Axios, on experiencing depression returning from Afghanistan after a 7-month deployment in 2014.

Twice as Many Say Trump Has Gone Too Far on Immigration

50%

A new Fox News poll finds half of American voters say the Trump administration has “gone too far” on immigration enforcement. The 50% who say enforcement of immigration laws has “gone too far” is more than double, 24%, those who say actions haven’t gone far enough. About one in five say the measures are about right. By a wide majority — 73% to 24% — Americans favor giving legal status to young people brought to the U.S. illegally as children, so-called Dreamers.