Tornado Alley (PROG)

[BOREALIS]

Trump, at war with everyone, mocks McCain, McConnell

Mike Allen 12 hrs ago

In private, President Trump has taken to physically mocking M&M: Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (slumped shoulders; lethargic body language) and Sen. John McCain (imitating the thumbs-down of his historic health-care vote).

Trump is venting about his frustration with what he considers failed leadership by Senate Republicans as he takes his lumps this week in wars with, well, everyone:

* Steve Bannon beat him last night in the Alabama Senate primary, with the Breitbart-favored candidate thumping Trump's man by 10 points.

* Moderate Republicans killed the repeal of the Affordable Care Act — again.

* NFL players lock arms in opposition to him. And Firehouse Strategies, a GOP firm, concludes from new polling: "[V]oters overwhelmingly (64%) say that the President should focus on other issues."

* He's getting pounded in social and conventional media for a slow, cold response to the humanitarian tragedy in Puerto Rico, a U.S. territory.

* Bob Mueller is tightening the screws on Trump's staff, and is now getting data from the IRS about "key Trump campaign officials."
Exclusive: IRS shares information with special counsel in Russia probe
http://www.cnn.com/2017/09/26/politics/special-counsel-irs-russia-probe-information-sharing/index.html

* "Rocket Man" government says Trump has declared war on North Korea. WashPost: "North Korean government officials have been quietly trying to arrange talks with Republican-linked analysts in Washington, in an apparent attempt to make sense of President Trump."
North Korea taps GOP analysts to better understand Trump and his message
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/north-korea-seeks-help-from-republican-analysts-whats-up-with-trump/2017/09/26/ea91909e-a278-11e7-8c37-e1d99ad6aa22_story.html?utm_term=.5fdff8e3270e


All this has left Trump isolated inside his White House at a time when he needs muscle with the Hill and juice with the public to try to pass tax reform.

Be smart: With his stoking of the culture war and bombastic style amid national and global turbulence, Trump continues to make every issue about himself — at the very time that he most needs friends.

https://www.axios.com/trump-at-war-with-everyone-mocks-mccain-mcconnell-2490111904.html