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NBC News
6 days ago
- Politics
- NBC News
3 takeaways from the NBC News Decision Desk poll: From the Politics Desk
Welcome to the online version of From the Politics Desk, an evening newsletter that brings you the NBC News Politics team's latest reporting and analysis from the White House, Capitol Hill and the campaign trail. In today's edition, Scott Bland breaks down the key findings from the new NBC News Decision Desk poll. Plus, we have the latest updates from the Israel-Iran conflict and the Minnesota shooting. — Adam Wollner 3 takeaways from our new poll By Scott Bland The new NBC News Decision Desk Poll powered by SurveyMonkey out this weekend painted a vivid picture of where Donald Trump's presidency stands right now — and where it's going in the near future. Here are three takeaways from the numbers. There's a reason why the White House wants to focus on immigration, though it's still a divisive issue. Trump's overall approval rating among U.S. adults stands at 45% approve, 55% disapprove — the same as in April. The survey also tested views of how Trump is handling a number of issues, with negative verdicts on all except immigration and border security. (The poll was mostly conducted before Trump deployed the National Guard and Marines in Los Angeles in response to protests over ICE raids there.) But while immigration is where Trump's standing is strongest, the public is still split over his handling of the issue: 51% approve, 49% disapprove. And other polling has shown big variations in those numbers when people are asked specifics about immigration, the border and deportations. A Republican divide over priorities in the 'big, beautiful bill.' When we broke down one question on Trump's legislative agenda by partisan affiliation, one practically even split stood out: 40% of Republicans said their most important priority in the massive domestic policy bill is reducing national debt, while 39% said continuing and expanding Trump's tax cuts was most important. That mirrors the argument happening among a handful of Republican senators right now that could be critical for how the final bill comes together. Both parties get bad grades on honesty. Americans, especially independents, have a dim view of politicians' honesty right now. And the ratings aren't particularly great even when people are considering their own party, either. It's one big reason why we're seeing political instability, division, anti-incumbent sentiment and a thirst for outsiders or new voices not just in the U.S. but in elections around the world. And that's a key factor to keep in mind as we approach primaries in 2026 — and 2028. How Trump went from opposing Israel's strikes on Iran to reluctant support By Courtney Kube, Gordon Lubold, Carol E. Lee and Katherine Doyle President Donald Trump had opposed Israeli military action against Iran, favoring negotiations over bombing. But in the days before the strikes began, he became convinced that Israel's heightened anxiety over Iran's nuclear enrichment capabilities was warranted. After a pivotal briefing from the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Air Force Gen. Dan Caine, on Israel's plans and U.S. options for supporting its operation, he gave tacit approval to Israel to have at it and decided to provide limited U.S. backing. When Caine briefed him on June 8, Trump was increasingly frustrated with Iran for not responding to the latest proposal for a nuclear deal. He still remained hopeful that his Middle East peace negotiator, Steve Witkoff, who had been scheduled to conduct another round of peace talks in the region Sunday, could soon get an agreement over the line. Trump was also facing private pressure from longtime allies who advocate more isolationist policies and wanted him to stop Israel from taking military action or at least withhold U.S. support for any such operation. This account of Trump's thinking leading up to the Israeli operation is based on interviews with five current U.S. officials and two Middle Eastern officials, as well as two people with knowledge of the deliberations, two former U.S officials familiar with the deliberations and a Trump ally. Suspect who terrorized Minnesota's political leaders after deadly shooting has been arrested By Dennis Romero The suspect wanted in the slaying of a Minnesota lawmaker and her husband, as well as in the shooting of a state senator and his wife, was found Sunday night armed and crawling in a field in a sparsely populated stretch of Minnesota, authorities said. Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz announced Vance Boelter's capture at a news conference after saying Saturday that the suspect's alleged crimes included a 'politically motivated assassination.' Despite being armed, authorities said, Boelter was taken into custody without incident, and no injuries were reported. 'After a two-day manhunt, two sleepless nights, law enforcement have apprehended' the alleged shooter, Walz said. 'This cannot be the norm. It cannot be the way that we deal with our political differences,' he added. Boelter is in custody and is now facing state and federal charges in connection with the Saturday slaying of Democratic Minnesota state Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, and the shooting of state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette Hoffman, authorities said.
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Democrat Mikie Sherrill and Republican Jack Ciattarelli win New Jersey governor primaries, CNN projects
Mikie Sherrill, a four-term Democratic congresswoman, and former Republican state Rep. Jack Ciattarelli have won their parties' nominations for New Jersey governor, according to projections from CNN's Decision Desk. Tuesday's results set the stage for one of this year's two potentially competitive gubernatorial races, along with Virginia, that will serve as a key barometer of President Donald Trump's job performance and a gauge of the energy in both parties ahead of next year's midterm elections. Already, the president has been a central figure in both candidates' campaigns. Sherrill, a former Navy helicopter pilot, bested five other candidates who all ran as fighters who would push back on the chaos of Washington. Ciattarelli, who narrowly lost a 2021 bid for governor, won the nomination again with the help of Trump's endorsement. Turnout in both races broke records for New Jersey's gubernatorial primaries. Historic trends could favor Democrats in November. New Jersey voters have consistently picked the gubernatorial candidate from the party out of power in Washington in recent decades with one exception – incumbent Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy was re-elected in 2021, one year after Joe Biden won the presidency. Murphy is term-limited from seeking another term. At the same time, New Jersey is among the states that shifted to the right during the 2024 general election. Vice President Kamala Harris won the state by just six percentage points in 2024, four years after Biden won the state by nearly 16 points. Running against Trump's policies is familiar territory for Sherrill, who has been seen as a rising star in the party ever since she won a longtime GOP seat during the president's first term in office. Before launching her first congressional campaign in 2017, Sherrill spent nearly a decade in the Navy and briefly worked as a federal prosecutor. The political novice was among dozens of Democrats, many of them women, who ran on their records of public service and national security experience to harness anti-Trump sentiment. Sherrill defeated her opponent, Republican state Assemblyman Jay Webber, by nearly 15 points. Though she was part of the same freshman class as Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and other liberal members of 'The Squad,' Sherrill aligned herself with a moderate group of newly elected Democrats who had also ousted Republican lawmakers. She joined the centrist New Democrat and conservative Blue Dog coalitions in the Democratic caucus, and was part of block of Democrats with national security and military experience who helped generate broad support for Trump's first impeachment. Sherrill's platform centered on lowering costs for New Jersey voters and portraying herself as a fighter who would take on Trump. 'A state like this is not going to be led by a Trump lackey like Jack Ciattarelli,' Sherrill said. 'I am ready to shake up the status quo and Jack is the status quo. He's not changed. He's a re-run. He's a ghost of elections past. And I have fought for new opportunities my entire life.' Sherrill was seen as a front-runner in the weeks leading up to Tuesday's six-candidate Democratic primary. The other Democratic candidates were Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop, Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, former state Senate president Steve Sweeney, New Jersey Education Association president Sean Spiller and Rep. Josh Gottheimer. Her opponents highlighted donations she received from the Elon Musk-owned SpaceX's political action committee during her congressional runs and her endorsements from county Democratic committees. Whether Ciattarelli can be successful in November will likely depend on his ability to turn out voters loyal to Trump while also expanding support with people who have not embraced the president and his agenda. 'Along the way, we also made a strong statement of what our New Jersey Republican Party stands for, a party open to anyone and everyone who's willing to work hard and play by the rules, a party of Jersey values and common sense policies, a party that believes our best days are ahead of us, if we have the courage to think big and act boldly,' Ciattarelli told his supporters Tuesday night. Ciattarelli backers waved signs declaring 'It's Time!' and 'Mikie Made Millions,' a reference to criticism Sherrill has received over her stock trading while in Congress. The GOP nominee thanked supporters and the state's 'most well-known part-time' resident, Trump. Support for Trump was a point of contention in advertisements and during feisty debates. Ciattarelli and conservative radio host Bill Spadea repeatedly sparred over their allegiance to the president, seizing on past criticisms they had each leveled at Trump at various points in their long record of public commentary. 'Bill Spadea attacks Donald Trump,' intoned one ad from Ciattarelli, seizing on soundbites of Spadea suggesting Trump shouldn't run in 2024. 'Loyalty matters to President Trump,' Spadea said in one of his ads, replaying comments from Ciattarelli criticizing Trump amid his rise during the 2016 campaign. Jon Bramnick, a more moderate candidate, didn't compete for Trump's endorsement the same way. He remarked at a February debate: 'Do you think the people of New Jersey want the debate to be who loves Donald Trump the most, or who loves New Jersey the most?' Trump endorsed Ciattarelli in a social media post with about a month left in the race. 'Jack, who after getting to know and understand MAGA, has gone ALL IN, and is now 100% (PLUS!),' Trump wrote. 'As your next Governor, Jack Ciattarelli will work closely with me and the Trump Administration to advance our America First Agenda.' Ciattarelli on Tuesday said that his new Democratic opponent would be hyper-focused on attacking the president. 'Trust me, if this campaign were a drinking game and you took a shot every time Mikie Sherrill says Trump, you're gonna be drunk off your ass every day,' he said.
The Hill
01-06-2025
- Business
- The Hill
Jeffries says Americans ‘aren't interested in bending the knee to a wannabe king'
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) said Sunday that Americans 'aren't interested in bending the knee to a wannabe king,' referring to President Trump. 'Donald Trump has learned an important lesson, the American people aren't interested in bending the knee to a wannabe king,' Jeffries said on CNN's 'State of the Union' to the outlet's Dana Bash. 'It's the reason why Donald Trump actually is the most unpopular president at this point of a presidency in American history,' he added. The president's approval rating currently sits at 45.9 percent in the Decision Desk/The Hill polling average, with 51.7 percent in the average not backing the president. The president recently went through consistent drops in his approval ratings, but his approval rating in the Decision Desk/The Hill average now sits above 2 points higher than it was at the start of May. Trump and his administration have taken swift action on issues such as how the federal government functions, immigration, trade policy, and LGBTQ rights in his first few months since returning to Washington. The action has drawn pushback from those on the American left and Democrats, but Democrats have also been criticized for a perceived lack of response to Trump administration moves. 'Democrats, of course, are the party that is determined to make life more affordable for everyday Americans, for hardworking American taxpayers,' Jeffries said Sunday. Republican strategist Karl Rove said in a recent opinion piece for The Wall Street Journal that President Trump's tariff rhetoric could cost the GOP its majorities in Congress. 'Republicans should hope the president really believes in reciprocity—the policy that if countries lower their tariffs, we'll lower ours. He should have confidence that America can compete if the playing field is level,' he added. The Hill has reached out to the White House for comment.
The Hill
30-04-2025
- Business
- The Hill
Trump's first 100 days by the numbers
President Trump is reshaping the government and the United States's role on the global stage as he hits the 100-day mark on his second term. From a blitz of executive action to a flurry of federal layoffs, Trump is working at warp speed. But as he crosses the early benchmark, polls are flashing warning signs about voter frustration, particularly with the economy. Here's a look at Trump's first 100 days, by the numbers: 142 executive orders Working at what the White House has dubbed 'Trump speed,' the president has signed more than 140 executive orders in his first 100 days in office, according to the White House. The figure eclipses the 55 executive orders Trump inked in the first year of his first presidential term, which were part of 220 total orders throughout his tenure. It also breaks the record held by former President Franklin D. Roosevelt, who cleared 99 executive orders in his first 100 days. Trump's predecessor, former President Biden, signed 77 executive orders throughout his full first year in the White House and 162 orders across his four-year term. Former President Obama, who served two terms, signed 277 orders in all. Trump had also issued 42 memos and 40 proclamations as of April 28, as tallied by the American Presidency Project, for a total of more than 200 executive actions. 44 percent average approval rating Trump's approval rating has started to take hits amid signs of growing voter frustration. An average of ratings from Decision Desk HQ puts Trump's approval at 44 percent, down from where he began his term and about 9 points less than the total who disapprove. A Fox News poll last week found Trump 11 points underwater, down 5 points since March — and lower than what the outlet logged for Trump's three most recent predecessors at this point in their respective presidencies. CNN and ABC/Washington Post/Ipsos polling similarly found Trump with the lowest 100-day approval of a president in decades. His favorability has also fallen in his first few weeks — from 49 percent who viewed him positively on Inauguration Day to less than 43.5 percent who felt the same this week, according to DDHQ averages. 5 bills signed into law Trump has signed just five bills into law in the first 100 days of his second term, compared to 28 laws that were enacted in that period of his first term. He signed off on the Laken Riley Act within days of taking office, a legislative victory on immigration after making the issue key to his 2024 campaign. That law mandates the detention of immigrants who lack permanent legal status and have been arrested or charged with certain crimes. Last month, he added his signature to the Republican-crafted funding bill to avert a government shutdown. The other signings were a trio of resolutions overturning Biden-era rules. 53 nominees confirmed by Senate/1 top seat unfilled About 1,300 of the thousands of presidential appointees need Senate approval to take their posts. So far, 53 of Trump's picks have gotten through the upper chamber, per a tracker from the Partnership for Public Service and The Washington Post, including some of his controversial Cabinet picks. Two of the candidates for Trump's top circle were withdrawn as he sought to solidify his Cabinet. Former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) pulled out of consideration for the attorney general slot in November, and Trump later elevated former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi to the position. Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) was Trump's pick to represent the U.S. at the United Nations. But the White House pulled her nomination last month because it wanted her vote in the House given the GOP's narrow majority. Trump has yet to select a new name for that ambassadorship. 139,000 deportations In touting its 100-day milestone, the White House this week announced 139,000 deportations since Trump took office. 'The numbers are good,' Trump's border czar Tom Homan told reporters Monday, though some experts have reportedly expressed skepticism about the latest figure. Among Trump's efforts, he's invoked the Alien Enemies Act, an 18th-century wartime law that allows the federal government to detain or deport noncitizens. Tens of thousands of federal job losses A staggering share of government jobs have been on the chopping block as Trump and tech billionaire Elon Musk slash the size of the federal workforce. The administration has not released specific numbers, but various trackers have tallied thousands of layoffs at agencies throughout the government. A CNN analysis found at least 121,000 federal workers have been laid off or targeted for layoffs across at least 30 agencies in Trump's first 100 days, not including many others who have been placed on leave or who accepted what amounted to buyouts. Among other sweeping changes to the government structure, Trump's Department of Government Efficiency has shuttered the U.S. Agency for International Development, worked to dismantle Voice of America and slashed the Department of Education by half. 145 percent tariff rate on China Trump has levied tariffs against key trading partners and kicked off a standoff with its superpower rival China. Trump bumped up import taxes on Beijing to a staggering 145 percent total in April — even as he paused country-specific tariffs for other nations — in a move that roiled the global market, prompted China to hit back with 125 percent tariffs and stoked questions about the president's end game. Trump has promised that tariffs will help 'make America wealthy again,' though his efforts have dealt a blow to consumer confidence. Hundreds of pardons, including Jan. 6 rioters Trump controversially issued roughly 1,500 'full, complete and unconditional pardons' for rioters charged in connection with the Jan. 6, 2021, attack at the Capitol. He's pardoned another 39 individuals, including Silk Road founder Ross Ulbricht. By comparison, Biden granted 80 total pardons, including 55 this year, and more than 4,000 other clemencies in his one term. Hundreds of lawsuits Trump's second-term agenda has been met with resistance, prompting a slew of legal challenges on a range of issues, from birthright citizenship to diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. A tracker from the New York University School of Law's Just Security journal has tallied 221 cases against Trump administration actions as of Monday, not including the hundreds of student visa holders who are suing the administration for terminating their legal records in an online database. Another from Lawfare puts that number higher, at more than 250.
CBC
29-04-2025
- Politics
- CBC
Canada election: Liberals projected to form next government
I'm a reporter in the Nova Scotia riding of Central Nova. Tonight I'm at the watch party of Liberal candidate Sean Fraser. For most of the night the Conservative candidate Brycen Jenkins was leading by a thin margin, and tension in the room was high. People called it a 'nail biter' and said they were 'very anxious.' When the latest batch of polls showed Fraser ahead, a huge cheer went up. CBC's Decision Desk has yet to project a winner for this riding, however. Moments later, CBC projected a Liberal government and an even bigger cheer erupted.
