NEWS AND OPINION:
The Trump brand is here to stay. Former President Donald Trump, in fact, is reaffirming his public image with a new website that is open for business and ready to rumble.
“The official website of the 45th President of the United States will allow individuals to submit correspondence, scheduling requests, and press inquiries for President and Mrs. Trump,” Mr. Trump said in a very formal statement, upon announcing the new site.
“President and Mrs. Trump are continually strengthened by the enduring spirit of the American people, and they look forward to staying in touch,” he said.
The new site can be found at 45Office.com — which is presented in the same bodacious Trump style which drew so many voters and fans to his way of thinking when he began his campaign for president some six years ago. Here’s just a sampling:
“The Office of Donald J. Trump is committed to preserving the magnificent legacy of the Trump administration, while at the same time advancing the America First agenda. Through civic engagement and public activism, the Office of Donald J. Trump will strive to inform, educate, and inspire Americans from all walks of life as we seek to build a truly great American Future. Through this office, President Trump will remain a tireless champion for the hardworking men and women of our great country — and for their right to live in safety, dignity, prosperity, and peace,” the new site notes in a mission statement.
Crowd-pleasing biographies of Mr. and Mrs. Trump are included, and they are sure to annoy Democratic rivals and strategists.
“Donald J. Trump launched the most extraordinary political movement in history, dethroning political dynasties, defeating the Washington Establishment, and becoming the first true outsider elected as President of the United States. His inspiring, groundbreaking campaign proved pollsters, pundits, prognosticators, and the corporate media spectacularly wrong. He mobilized voters with massive rallies, reached America’s hearts and minds with his vision for national rejuvenation,” states the former president’s bio, which goes on for another 10 paragraphs.
The press, of course, was not pleased with this sure-footed outreach.
“Donald Trump uses new website to rewrite history of his presidency,” noted The Guardian.
“There is no mention of the controversies that beset his time in office, such as the two impeachments, accusations of corruption and the charge that he incited a riot in the U.S. Capitol on January 6,” said Newsweek.
“Trump’s new website boasting of his contribution to U.S. border security makes no mention of the wall that he never finished,” observed Business Insider.
COMPARING THE LEGACIES
Meanwhile, the Poll du Jour at column’s end highlights a sizable new Pew Research Center poll which found that 38% of U.S. adults said former President Donald Trump “made progress” solving the nations major problems during his time in office. The pollster also posed the exact same inquiry about past administrations in a major poll of 1,502 U.S. adults conducted Nov. 30-Dec. 5, 2016.
Here’s what the respondents said: 35% said then-President Barack Obama made progress solving the problems, 13% said the same thing of former President George W. Bush and 52% said that of former President Bill Clinton.
PENCE HAS AN EYE ON 2024
A single headline sums up the current status of former Vice President Mike Pence: “Trump’s heir? Pence reemerges, lays groundwork for 2024 run,” noted a stern Associated Press headline on Tuesday.
Oh, but it’s complicated.
“Trump has not said whether he will seek the White House again in 2024. If he doesn’t, other Republicans are making clear they won’t cede the race to Pence. Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, for instance, is already visiting the critical primary states of Iowa and New Hampshire,” writes Jill Colvin, national political reporter for the news service.
And Mr. Pence is tending to other things as well. Also on his to-do list: Writing a book, and giving his first public speech at an event on April 29 at a convention center in Columbia, South Carolina, hosted by the Palmetto Family Council, a conservative Christian nonprofit group.
“Do you recognize the wisdom and beauty of traditional Judeo-Christian values? Are you concerned about the departure from those values in our culture and the future direction of our state and nation? Then join Palmetto Family at our annual Gala as we look to the future,” the organizers advise, also noting that a bluegrass “with deep South Carolina roots” will entertain.
FOXIFIED
Fox News has emerged as the most-watched cable news network as the month of March ended, drawing 2.4 million prime-time viewers, compared to 1.8 million viewers who went with MSNBC and 1.2 million who choose CNN. In the first quarter of the year, Fox News enjoyed an average prime-time audience of 2.5 million viewers, according to Nielsen — landing as the most watched network in the entire cable realm during that time period.
And a word about Saturday late-night host Greg Gutfeld. His show drew an average of 1.9 million viewers during the quarter, besting such competition as ABC’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live,” NBC’s “The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon,” HBO’s “Real Time with Bill Maher” and NBC’s “Late Night with Seth Meyers.”
POLL DU JOUR
• 38% of U.S. adults say that when former President Donald Trump was in office, he “made progress” solving major problems facing the country; 77% of Republicans and 7% of Democrats agree.
• 37% of U.S. adults overall say that when Mr. Trump was in office, he “made the problems worse”; 5% of Republicans and 64% of Democrats agree.
• 15% overall say Mr. Trump “tried but failed” to solve the nation’s problems; 15% of Republicans and 14% of Democrats agree.
• 10% overall say Mr. Trump “did not address” the nation’s problems; 3% of Republicans and 16% of Democrats agree.
Source: a Pew Research Center poll of 12,055 U.S. adults conducted March 1-7 and released Monday.
• Kindly follow Jennifer Harper on Twitter @HarperBulletin
• Jennifer Harper can be reached at jharper@washingtontimes.com.
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