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Tuesday, September 10, 2019

The Point: Smile now, Mike Pompeo...


September 10, 2019  | by Chris Cillizza and Lauren Dezenski

Smile now, Mike Pompeo...

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo could barely contain himself as he stood in front of the White House press corps on Tuesday afternoon.

Hours before, national security adviser John Bolton, with whom Pompeo had repeatedly clashed, had been fired via Twitter by President Donald Trump. Pompeo had won, and he was taking a bit of a victory lap.

"There were many times Ambassador Bolton and I disagreed, that's to be sure," Pompeo said. "But that's true for lots of people with whom I interact." Later, when asked whether he was surprised by Bolton's firing, Pompeo deadpanned: "I'm never surprised."

What struck me most watching Pompeo and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin live -- the briefing was scheduled to also include Bolton until Trump fired him -- was how much of a there-but-for-the-grace-of-Trump situation every single member of the President's Cabinet finds themselves in every single day.

Trump has already jettisoned nine Cabinet secretaries in less than three years. And that doesn't include his three national security advisers, six communications directors and a variety of other senior staff firings and resignations. (Trump has already gotten rid of more Cabinet officials in under three years than any president in the last 40 years, according to statistics kept by Kathryn Dunn Tenpas at Brookings.)

Trump sours on top aides faster than most people sour on their favorite song. And because his administration largely functions on his whims, you can be in the inner circle in one week and gone the next -- all because of a change in the President's mood.

Which brings me back to Pompeo. He is, without question, the current golden child of this administration. Trump plucked him from the House to be CIA director and pushed Rex Tillerson out at State to put Pompeo in that role. Pompeo has succeeded by saying and doing whatever Trump wants -- as expertly documented by the New Yorker's Susan Glasser.

But because Trump is so temperamental and changeable, channeling what he wants over some long period of time is impossible. Stick around Trump long enough and he will scapegoat you or turn on you or both. It is known.

Pompeo may find a way to get out before Trump turns on him; he continues to hint at his kind of, sort of interest in running for the open Senate seat in Kansas. If Pompeo passes on that bid, there will come a time when he is the guy on the chopping block and some other new favorite is smiling at his or her own victory.

The Point: The only constant in Trumpworld is Trump. Everyone else -- except his family -- is expendable. Everyone.

-- Chris

QUOTE OF THE DAY

"I'm not a vain person, but I look better under an incandescent light than these crazy lights that are beaming down on us."

-- President Trump, who moments earlier had talked about how much better his hair looks than other men his age.

📈 TRUMP'S NUMBERS 📉

Six in 10 Americans say President Donald Trump doesn't deserve reelection, according to a new CNN SSRS poll released today.

That's about the same rate as in November 2017, when 63% of voters said the President does not deserve to be reelected. 

The big number: 39% approve of the job Trump is doing in office and 55% disapprove. For context, the President's disapproval rating is the highest it's been since early February, with approval the lowest since January.

CHRIS' GOOD READS

Will Beto's "screw it" campaign work?

What college admissions officers really want

I l-o-v-e-d this piece on skateboarder Tyshawn Jones

As a Tesla owner, this story was hard to read

MUSICAL INTERLUDE

This Highwomen album slays. That is all.

PRIMARY CONTENDER

Why the GOP is canceling primaries

Chris explains why the Trump administration wouldn't mind shutting out any competition and uncertainty ahead of 2020 -- by just awarding delegates to the President without holding primary votes.

We wouldn't mind if you subscribed to The Point on YouTube!

LAUREN'S CAMPAIGN TRAIL LATEST

Joe Biden: Has a new line that indicates how he'll go after Elizabeth Warren at Thursday's debate:  "We need more than plans."

Elizabeth Warren: Endorsed two liberal House candidates challenging Democratic incumbents in Texas and Illinois.

Steve Bullock: Plans to spend Thursday and Friday in Iowa campaigning. He failed to qualify for the debate stage.

ONE BIG SPECIAL ELECTION

NC-09
 
The final votes for the 2018 midterm elections will finally be cast today in a special election between Democrat Dan McCready and Republican Dan Bishop

The North Carolina 9th District's initial results were not certified after a consultant for the Republican candidate in 2018 allegedly committed wide-spread absentee voter fraud, giving the Republican an 1,000-vote margin of victory over Democrat McCready. 

President Trump rallied the MAGA base in North Carolina on Monday night, telling supporters that this special Election Day is "your chance to send a clear message to the America-hating left ... and by the way we're building that wall and it's going up very big."
We'd love to share our other newsletters with you. Follow this link for daily coverage of the world's top stories, savvy market insights, an insider's look into the media, and more. Send your tips and thoughts via email to Chris Cillizza and Lauren Dezenski. Follow Chris and Lauren on Twitter.
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