Inside the Beltway: Expect the unexpected: Pelosi for president

NEWS AND OPINION:

Not long ago, an editorial published The New York Sun suggested that Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez should run for mayor of New York City. Now comes several suggestions that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi should run for president — this according to Election Central, a nonpartisan news organization which cited multiple press reports centered on Mrs. Pelosi entering the White House race.

Journalists lauded her name recognition, her fundraising abilities and her status as the “Washington leader best able to frustrate, sidestep, stymie, outfox, infuriate, and when it suits her purposes, simply ignore Donald Trump.”

That last comment came from The Atlantic.

Whether these qualities are presidential or helpful in the White House or on the global stage is open to debate. Lest we forget, majorities of voters have consistently said they are weary of negative politics and a “do-nothing Congress,” while appreciative of President Trump’s gains in the economy, among other things. A new Gallup poll also finds that the public is slowly but surely warming to the president in a meaningful way.

The pollster finds that 40% of Americans now say Mr. Trump has the personality and leadership qualities required of a president, up from 33% in 2017. Another 47% say they agree with the president of issues that “matter most” to them — up from 39% in the same period.

“Nancy Pelosi for president?? In post-Trump Washington, the unexpected should be expected,” advises Election Central.

MR. FITTON HAS A FORUM

Tom Fitton, president of Judicial Watch, often provides information which is consistently retweeted by President Trump — that’s happened 59 times in recent days, according to the watchdog organization. Now Mr. Fitton is hosting a special panel on Wednesday titled “Investigating the Investigators” — a title which tells all.

“Now that the Mueller report has exonerated President Trump of the false accusations of collusion and obstruction, it is time to look into the politicization of DOJ and the intelligence community in their effort to undermine the president,” Mr. Fitton advises.

The panelists include: Carter Page, a former Trump campaign adviser; Victoria Toensing, a founding partner with Joe diGenova of the law firm of diGenova & Toensing; Chuck Ross, an investigative reporter with The Daily Caller News Foundation; and Chris Farrell, director of investigations and research for Judicial Watch itself.

Mr. Fitton serves as moderator. Watch it live at JudicialWatch.org/live. C-SPAN will also carry the event.

BERNIE NOSTALGIA

A certain Vermont independent hopes to remind voters of his glory days on the presidential campaign trail.

“In New Hampshire, Bernie Sanders rekindles 2016 nostalgia,” writes David Catanese, senior political writer for U.S. News & World Report.

“Vermont’s socialist senator, whose runaway win in 2016’s Granite State primary established him as a formidable contender for the Democratic nomination and propelled him into a protracted, career-defining campaign against Hillary Clinton, took Monday to use nostalgia from that presidential race to try and shore up support for his current one,” Mr. Catanese says.

Mr. Sanders was on tour with Ben & Jerry’s ice cream founders Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield.

“The message Sanders presented was crystal clear: There are many presidential candidates to choose from this round, but just remember that on the most consequential issues, ’I was first.’ It’s an attempt to distinguish himself from the dizzying field of 24 candidates pursuing the Democratic Party presidential nomination without directly disparaging any of them,” writes Mr. Catanese.

Mr. Sanders might also consider addressing the increasing number of public opinion polls that suggest voters are not comfortable with socialism.

TRUMP CAMPAIGN: REJECT SOCIALISM

A certain campaign is certainly aware that many voters are jittery about socialism.

“While President Trump has been fighting to make America great again, Democrats like Bernie Sanders are fighting to make America the next Venezuela,” the campaign says in a new voter outreach which says Democratic candidates are in an “all-out sprint to the left.”

The campaign has launched a “Reject Socialism” petition.

“America was founded on liberty and independence — not government coercion, domination and control. We are born free, and we will stay free. Stand with President Trump to tell Democrats: America will never be a socialist country. We can’t sit by while Democrats drag our country into socialism. It’s time for patriotic Americans to take a stand,” the campaign advises.

MEANWHILE IN ST. PETERSBURG

Russia has just launched a brand new, nuclear-powered icebreaker which is 568 feet long, has a crew of 75 and can crush through Arctic ice 10-feet thick.

“The ship, dubbed the Ural and which was floated out from a dockyard in St. Petersburg, is one of a trio that when completed will be the largest and most powerful icebreakers in the world,” said Reuters, which notes that Russia envisions opening the Northern Sea Route to traffic year around.

“The drive is part of a push to strengthen Moscow’s hand in the High North as it vies for dominance with traditional rivals Canada, the United States and Norway, as well as newcomer China,” the news agency said, noting that Russian President Vladimir Putin said his nation’s Arctic fleet would in the future operate at least 13 heavy-duty icebreakers.

The Arctic, incidentally, holds oil and gas reserves equivalent to 412 billion barrels of oil — about 22% of the world’s undiscovered oil and gas, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

POLL DU JOUR

• 62% of Americans think American consumers will bear the cost of new tariffs on Chinese goods; 40% of Republicans, 62% of independents and 81% of Democrats agree.

• 23% overall think Chinese producers will bear the cost; 40% of Republicans, 22% of independents and 10% of Democrats agree.

• 24% overall say it is “very likely” that tariffs would prompt American companies to return manufacturing to the U.S.; 39% of Republicans, 22% of independents and 15% of Democrats agree.

• 35% overall say it is “somewhat likely” the manufacturing would return to the U.S.; 41% of Republicans, 36% of independents and 28% of Democrats agree.

• 33% overall say it is “not likely” the manufacturing would return to the U.S.; 13% of Republicans, 34% of independents and 48% of Democrats agree.

Source: A Monmouth University poll of 802 U.S. adults conducted May 16-20.

• Helpful information to jharper@washingtontimes.com