Trump’s voting bill push tests relationship with GOP lawmakers: From the Politics Desk

Welcome to the online version of From the political officea daily newsletter bringing you the latest reporting and analysis from the NBC News Politics team from the White House, Capitol Hill and the campaign trail.

In today’s edition, our Capitol Hill team explores how President Donald Trump’s insistence on promoting the SAVE America Act is causing friction with some Republican lawmakers. Plus, Kristen Welker examines how the Trump administration is struggling to find its footing when it comes to messaging on Iran.

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—Adam Wollner

SAVE America Act tests Trump’s relationship with Republicans in Congress

By Sahil Kapur, Melanie Zanona, Brennan Leach and Frank Thorp V

SAVE America Act Tests President’s Relations Donald Trump and Senate Majority Leader John ThuneRS.D., which seeks to balance the demands of the president and the passions of the Republican base with the unforgiving realities of the Senate.

“Next week, I will introduce the SAVE America Act and we will have a thorough and thorough debate,” Thune said yesterday on the Senate floor. “I can’t guarantee an outcome on this legislation. I can guarantee you that we’re going to put Democrats on notice, that they’re going to be forced to defend their outrageous positions on these issues.”

Early next week, Thune plans to present the House-passed version, which was structured as a “message” to allow the Senate to begin debate with 51 votes. A Republican leadership aide said the Senate would engage in days of extended debate on the bill, giving senators ample opportunity to speak on the bill and forcing Democrats to defend their opposition, while considering amendments requested by Republicans. The process could extend into the following weekend and beyond, the aide added.

But in the end, it will take 60 votes to end the debate. As a result, some Republicans say there is no viable path to Trump’s office.

“There is no strategy,” the senator said. Thomas TillisRN.C., told reporters. “There is a 0% [chance] of this success.

“People on my side of the aisle — and people on the far right of the political spectrum — are trying to rally around barriers, and they’re not going to succeed,” Tillis said, while adding that he supports the legislation on substance. “And we’re not going to have more states with more voter ID cards, which is what I want. In doing so, we’re preparing vulnerable Republicans for a tougher environment than they already have.”

Some Republicans are frustrated that Trump is so obsessed with an election bill that won’t pass and wish he would devote the same political capital to passing bills aimed at lowering the cost of living before the midterm elections, when their congressional majorities are at stake.

“It’s frustrating, but it’s also a regular occurrence,” a House Republican running for re-election told NBC News, speaking freely about his frustrations with his own party on condition of anonymity. “Congress just needs to keep moving forward with bills like housing and others that help with affordability.”

Read more →

Trump struggles to formulate a clear message on the Iran war

Analysis by Kristen Welker

Nearly two weeks into the war in Iran, the Trump administration has yet to provide a clear message about its goals in the conflict or its concerns about rising gas prices.

In the same breath this week, the President Donald Trump declared “we won” and warned “we don’t want to leave early, do we? We have to finish the job.” Two days earlier, he told House Republicans: “We have already won in many ways, but we have not won enough. »

The mixed messages don’t stop there. The president and his top officials continue to give a variety of reasons for what the ultimate goals of the war are and whether regime change is one of them. And while Americans continue to emphasize that the cost of living is a major concern, Trump is downplaying rising gas prices after months of pointing to falling gas prices as evidence that he is leading an economic recovery.

Democrats and Republicans tell me the president needs to do a better job of explaining military goals to the American public, who polls show are skeptical.

Our recent NBC News poll found that 54% of voters disapprove of Trump’s handling of Iran. And this week’s Washington Post poll finds that about two-thirds of Americans believe the administration has not clearly defined its military objectives in Iran.

Presidents typically spend a lot of time pleading with the public for war before starting one, in order to prepare them for the consequences, including the loss of American lives and economic uncertainty.

This strategy has already borne fruit. A review of our NBC News poll archives from early 2002 to early 2003 found that a clear majority of Americans supported military action to remove Saddam Hussein from power and approved of the president’s nomination. George W. Bushapproach to the war on terrorism.

In both cases, public opinion ultimately deteriorated. But the Bush administration started with a much higher level of support than the Trump administration currently enjoys.

Early polls show that Trump’s most ardent supporters, Republicans who consider themselves part of the MAGA movement, support him almost unilaterally. But independent voters are not, and more establishment-minded Republicans don’t share the same level of enthusiasm as MAGA Republicans.

The military challenges facing the administration in the Middle East are clear, as are the communications challenges here at home.

We’ll discuss all this and more during “Meet the Press” this Sunday, when I interview the Secretary of Energy. Chris Wright and the senator. Adam SchiffD-California.

Follow live updates on the Iran war →

That’s all that’s coming from the politburo for now. Today’s newsletter was written by Adam Wollner.

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