A change in mood

NEWS AND OPINION:

President-elect Donald Trump is having a helpful influence on the nation. The public is daring to think that maybe, just maybe, things are going to be all right.

“Get on the train or get left behind, that is how many investors are feeling right now. Gone are the days of 2016 in the first Trump term when Wall Street players were weary of associating with the new and untested President. Today, the mood in the country is one of optimism and rising confidence that America’s best days lie ahead,” wrote Nate Ashworth, founder and editor of ElectionCentral.com, a political news site.

He cited Mr. Trump’s appearance on Thursday at the New York Stock Exchange, where he was greeted by chants of “USA, USA.” Then there was the Time cover, naming Mr. Trump as the magazine’s “Person of the Year.”

“No one has endured more persecution than Donald Trump, and no one has risen out of the ashes time and time again to slay his foes and reach another summit of success. Just months ago, the media was pronouncing his campaign dead and Kamala Harris was the sure thing. After all, she had that Taylor Swift endorsement locked up,” Mr. Ashworth said.

“In a word, Donald Trump is leadership. He could have written off another term on several occasions. He could have bowed out and let someone else do this dirty job. On the other hand, “Fight!” seems to be his default setting and he wasn’t going to let Joe Biden’s lawfare take him down,” he continued.

“There is a spirit engulfing the country that few presidents will ever inspire. People of all stripes are feeling relieved and encouraged by the team Trump is building. It’s a team focused on growth and putting the needs of Americans over the wasteful pleasures of government bureaucrats,” Mr. Ashworth said.

THE HONEYMOON FACTOR

Indeed, Mr. Trump’s public appeal appears to be growing.

“Donald Trump entered Election Day more popular with voters than he was during his first campaign, a trend that is carrying over to his presidential transition as his net favorability rating — the share with favorable views minus the share with unfavorable views — is the best it’s been since April 2017. Our latest survey shows 50% of voters hold favorable views of the president-elect, compared with 47% who view him unfavorably.” wrote Eli Yokey, an analyst with Morning Consult.

His review of the poll numbers has a telling title as well — and here it is: “Trump’s Honeymoon With Voters Is Sweeter the Second Time Around.”

ELECTION FRAUD REVISITED

Concerned about the state of our public elections? Are they accurate and honest? We now have a source of some insight. The Heritage Foundation has released an updated election fraud database featuring a new “Election Fraud Map.”

The organization has tracked and highlighted proven cases of election fraud from across the country since 2014.

“Our Election Fraud Database has helped educate countless Americans that election fraud is real and that states and the federal government must ensure elections are secure. This upgraded fraud map highlights that states need to do more work,” said John Malcolm, vice president of Heritage’s Institute for Constitutional Government, in a written statement shared with Inside the Beltway.

“Heritage has just added seven more fraud cases from Alabama, Nevada, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and Texas, to the database. “With the addition of these seven cases, the database now holds 1,567 proven instances of election fraud, and we are tracking almost 300 additional potential cases that are in the investigative or prosecutorial stage by law enforcement,” said Hans von Spakovsky, manager of Heritage’s Election Law Reform Initiative, also in a written statement.

Find the map at https://electionfraud.heritage.org/.

THE MUSK FACTOR

Forbes has tracked the world’s richest people for quite some time, publishing a list each April that ranks who’s got the most money on the planet. This year, the publication declared that Earth was home to a record 2,781 billionaires who are worth a record $14.2 trillion.

One entrepreneur, however, has set a record of his own.

“Elon Musk, the world’s richest person, briefly became the first to have a net worth surpassing $400 billion — making him worth more than any billionaire Forbes has ever tracked in nearly four decades of ranking the world’s billionaires,” the publication said in a report released Thursday.

“Musk’s net worth jumped by $58 billion on Wednesday after Forbes confirmed that SpaceX and its investors agreed to buy back insiders’ shares in a deal valuing the rocket company at $350 billion, as first reported by Bloomberg,” the report said.

WEEKEND REAL ESTATE

For sale: A “stunning mid-century modern home” constructed of stone and redwood in 1953 on 23 wooded acres near Ligonier, Pennsylvania. Three bedrooms, three bathrooms, open floor plan and “expansive” living and dining areas plus gourmet kitchen; 2,110 square feet. Custom wood-beamed ceilings, floor-to-ceiling windows with built-in seating — “a blend of architectural elegance and serene natural beauty.” Storage building, two stone terraces plus stone walls and pathways throughout the property. Priced at $1.1 million through Piatt Sotheby’s International Realty; find the property at http://www.114forelle.com/.

POLL DU JOUR

• 36% of U.S. adults think that the next Congress will accomplish more than the current Congress has accomplished; 67% of Republicans,13% of Democrats and 29% of independents agree.

• 40% of men and 33% of women also agree.

• 25% overall think the next Congress will accomplish “about the same” as the current Congress; 22% of Republicans, 25% of Democrats and 29% of independents agree.

• 27% of men and 24% of women also agree.

• 20% are not sure about the issue; 7% of Republicans, 21% of Democrats and 30% of independents agree.

• 16% of men and 23% of women also agree.

• 19% think the next Congress will accomplish less than the current Congress; 4% of Republicans, 21% of Democrats and 12% of independents agree.

• 17% of men and 20% of women also agree.

Source: An Economist/YouGov poll of 1,593 U.S. adults conducted Dec. 8-10.

• Follow Jennifer Harper on X @HarperBulletin, on Facebook @HarperUniverse.