According to reporter Gabriel Sherman of Vanity Fair, President Donald Trump is so infuriated by his dismal poll numbers that he is considering firing his son-in-law and adviser Jared Kushner from his role overseeing aspects of Trump’s re-election campaign. Kushner is one of the longest-serving Trump aides, and his familial ties to the president have frequently seemed to work in his favor, since it’s not as though he’s gotten much done while in the White House. For example, the laughably inexperienced Kushner was tasked at one point with leading Israel-Palestine peace efforts — and that went nowhere. But now, Trump’s sinking poll numbers might be too much for the president to handle.
Trump stands 14 points behind Biden among registered voters in CNN's latest poll. His approval rating is down seven points. https://t.co/mpEcyMJFVZ
— Kaitlan Collins (@kaitlancollins) June 8, 2020
Sherman reports:
‘According to a source close to the White House, Trump has mulled taking oversight of the campaign away from his son-in-law Jared Kushner. “Trump is malignantly crazy about the bad poll numbers,” a former West Wing official said. “He’s going to broom Kushner and [Brad] Parscale—the numbers are not getting better,” a Republican close to the campaign said.’
new CNN poll on how Americans feel about Trump’s job performance:
38% approve
57% disapprove— John Harwood (@JohnJHarwood) June 8, 2020
Indeed — Trump’s poll numbers definitely are not getting better. A poll that CNN released this week had presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden a staggering 14 percent ahead of the president on the national level. In poll after poll, Biden leads among a diverse selection of groups, while Trump just keeps hiding out in the White House and rage-tweeting.
NEW: @realDonaldTrump job approval drops 7 points to 38% in new CNN national poll. @JoeBiden opens a 14-point lead in the 2020 race. pic.twitter.com/WbMOTc0lb2
— Javi Morgado (@javimorgado) June 8, 2020
Sherman adds:
‘The polling has gotten worse because Trump still hasn’t figured out how to handle the politics of the protest movement sparked by the police killing of George Floyd. Axios reported the campaign is debating whether Trump should talk about national unity. Trump took some solace in last week’s unemployment report, which was less horrendous than many economists expected. “He was in a good mood, he thinks the jobs numbers will turn things around,” said a Republican that spoke with Trump.’
"Like toy soldiers": D.C. Mayor Bowser says that's how Trump uses military to intimidate protesters. https://t.co/saKfZVLOnp
— All In with Chris Hayes (@allinwithchris) June 8, 2020
The problem is that the official unemployment rate is still in the double-digit range, and the general election is only getting closer. Why would voters be particularly enthusiastic about Trump when his incompetence helped kick the U.S. into the current economic mess? If he’d acted more effectively against the Coronavirus, then perhaps the U.S. could have avoided the economic upheaval of the eventual patchwork efforts to control the pandemic.
President Trump is planning to reprise his notorious Fourth of July celebration this year in Washington DC, despite the pandemic.
His hotel has already doubled its rates for it. https://t.co/l5YAvmXg01
— Citizens for Ethics (@CREWcrew) June 8, 2020
Meanwhile, it’s unclear whether or not Trump will ever get around to actually firing Kushner. Trump talks a lot and does a lot less. Sherman notes that “former West Wing officials recall how Trump hated when Kushner received too much positive press,” which is pretty well-supported by the president’s endless public obsession with his own public image.
Just this Monday, he tweeted:
‘CNN Polls are as Fake as their Reporting. Same numbers, and worse, against Crooked Hillary. The Dems would destroy America! The Lamestream Media refuses to talk about our Country’s record setting Jobs Numbers, which are indicating GREATNESS, and soon!’
These are the president’s priorities while the United States suffers through a pandemic, widespread police brutality, and more.
