Inside the Beltway: Democratic nightmare: Voters warming to Trump

NEWS AND OPINION:

Despite non-stop challenges from political rivals and a hostile news media, President Trump can consider some promising poll numbers of particular interest to conservatives, Republicans and faithful Trump fans. The numbers, though not necessarily bell-ringers, suggest the public is warming to the Trump way of doing things.

“With the midterm election in the books, voters are shifting their attention to the presidential election in 2020 and are growing more convinced that there’s a second term in sight for the 45th president,” says a new Rasmussen Reports analysis, which conducted a new survey Nov. 7 — just 24 hours after the Election Day.

It found that 47 percent of all U.S. voters believe that it is “likely Trump will be re-elected in 2020,” a finding which is up by 8 percentage points since August. There’s are negative aspects with lesser impact: 29 percent think the president will be defeated by the Democratic nominee in 2020, while 16 percent say Mr. Trump will be impeached and convicted before finishing a full term in the White House.

A separate Rasmussen survey also has some findings which lean in favor of the president and his policies.

“President Trump was criticized at a summit with European leaders this week for putting America’s interests ahead of global needs. Voters still share the president’s ’America First’ attitude,” the poll analysis said. “When they think about problems in the world, 50 percent of likely U.S. voters still are more interested in finding a solution that most benefits the United States as opposed to one that is better for the whole world.”

Another 44 percent are more interested in “what’s better for the world.”

MEDIA MAVEN: ACOSTA IS ’LEFT WING ACTIVIST’

CNN reporter Jim Acosta recently lost his White House credentials after a skirmish with President Trump during a press conference — and the incident has created a cultural moment. Actually, it’s more like a cultural hour. CNN has sued the White House, prompting other news organizations to offer support. Discussions about journalists’ behavior abound. Attorneys, pundits and scholars are parsing the legal aspects of it all, including First Amendment implications.

Critics will have none of it, however. Talk-radio kingpin Rush Limbaugh already has declared that Mr. Acosta has no “constitutional right” to the coveted press credentials. Others agree.

“CNN’s lawsuit is ridiculous. I am, and have always been, a defender of the Constitution and the First Amendment. That said, no one reporter has a constitutional right to access the press briefing room. It’s the prerogative of the White House to decide who gets a pass and who does not,” says Brent Bozell, founder of the Media Research Center and a veteran of conservative analysis.

“Let me be clear: Jim Acosta is not a reporter. He is a left-wing activist. He has proven on countless occasions that he is more interested in disrupting and debating the President than asking serious questions. As far as the administration is concerned, CNN is not a news organization but a political hit squad for the far left. I am sure Jim Acosta’s press pass would be restored if he proved himself capable of playing the role of a respectable journalist like nearly every other correspondent in that room. Until that happens, the White House’s decision to suspend Acosta is absolutely justified,” Mr. Bozell advises.

TRUMP’S MEDIA POLL

President Trump has long conducted his own public opinion polls, using his campaign site to launch the research for the most part. The aforementioned Acosta matter has prompted a new survey gauging public opinion of the news media. The first question, of course, asks this: “Do you think the White House was right to revoke the press badge belonging to CNN’s Jim Acosta?”

It is followed by 29 other questions which explore political bias, media accountability, preference in news organizations and more.

“Americans are waking up to the fact that the mainstream media is nothing more than a 24/7 barrage of fake stories and an absolute revulsion for everything we stand for as a movement. Liberal propaganda machines have used every possible tactic to undermine and insult our movement as we fight to put America first,” advises the outreach.

HEART OF A MOM

She hosts a must-see prime time Fox News show and has spent 17 years sharing insight on talk radio. Laura Ingraham has decided it’s time for a change. In January, Ms. Ingraham will “transition from radio” in favor of a new original podcast.

“The Laura Ingraham Show” debuts in January on PodcastOne, an industry leader in the emerging field.

“While hosting a prime-time television show and raising three children on my own, continuing a three-hour morning radio show was no longer feasible. Although I will greatly miss my radio listeners and affiliates, working late nights and early mornings has taken a toll on my family life,” Ms. Ingraham says.

“Plus, my radio audience is smart, savvy and committed, and I know most will follow my new show in digital podcasting — the format that is revolutionizing the audio world,” she concludes.

THE BARRISTERS HAVE A SAY

A significant group of over 100 lawyers, judges and legal scholars descend on the nation’s capital Thursday, courtesy of The Federalist Society — which is hosting the 2018 Lawyers Convention at a historic hotel a few blocks from the White House. Among the many attending: Sen. Mike Lee of Utah, Health and Human Services secretary Alex M. Azar II, former independent counsel Kenneth Starr, former White House counsel C. Boyden Gray and National Review senior editor Richard Brookhiser.

The theme of the three-day gathering is “Good government through agency accountability and regulatory transparency”; the event includes the sold-out Antonin Scalia Memorial Dinner, plus debates and discussions or every description. Among the topics: Climate Change Nuisance Suits, Masterpiece Cakeshop and its Implications, John Marshall: The Man Who Made the Supreme Court, and Technology, Social Media and Professional Ethics.

Founded in 1982, the Federalist Society for Law and Public Policy Studies is a group of conservatives and libertarians dedicated to reforming the current legal order.

POLL DU JOUR

• 69 percent of Americans say there is a serious problem with illegal drugs in the U.S.

• 31 percent say the drug problem is serious in the area where they live.

• 38 percent say the nation has made some progress in “coping” with this problem.

• 33 percent say the U.S. has “lost ground” in dealing with illegal drugs.

• 26 percent say the ability of the U.S. to deal with illegal drugs has “stood still” in the last two years.

Source: A Gallup poll of 1,019 U.S. adults conducted Oct. 1-10 and released Wednesday.

• Kindly follow Jennifer Harper on Twitter @HarperBulletin