Jan 21, 2019 - Politics & Policy

If Trump were a CEO

President Trump arrives at a campaign rally in Fort Wayne, Ind., in November. (Aaron P. Bernstein/Getty Images)

As President Trump begins year 3 of his presidency today, an interesting way to look at his record is to consider how he'd be judged if he were a CEO.

The bottom line: "2 years in, president is at a loss as dealmaker," the WashPost's Phil Rucker and Josh Dawsey write:

  • "Trump’s management of the ... shutdown — his first foray in divided government — has exposed as never before his shortcomings as a dealmaker ... apparent shortage of empathy ... difficulty accepting responsibility ... revenge ... seeming misunderstanding of Democrats’ motivations."
  • Republican strategist Mike Murphy, a Trump critic: "People saw him as some sort of business wizard. ... It’s like McDonald’s not being able to make a hamburger."

The N.Y. Times also front-pages a mogul theme, "In Business and Governing, Trump Seeks Victory in Chaos," by Russ Buettner and Maggie Haberman:

  • "As he did during decades in business, Mr. Trump has insulted adversaries, undermined his aides, repeatedly changed course, extolled his primacy as a negotiator and induced chaos."
  • "In a brief telephone interview, ... Trump was not specific in defending his tactics, but he described himself as successful in his chosen fields of real estate, entertainment and finally politics. 'I ran for office once and I won,' Mr. Trump said."

Go deeper

Axios
Updated 9 mins ago - Politics & Policy

Coronavirus dashboard

Illustration: Eniola Odetunde/Axios

  1. Global: Total confirmed cases as of 7:30 p.m. ET: 18,982,658 — Total deaths: 712,266— Total recoveries — 11,477,642 — Map.
  2. U.S.: Total confirmed cases as of 7:30 p.m. ET: 4,873,747 — Total deaths: 159,931 — Total recoveries: 1,598,624 — Total tests: 59,652,675 — Map.
  3. Politics: Pelosi rips GOP over stimulus negotiations: "Perhaps you mistook them for somebody who gives a damn" — Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine tests positive.
  4. Public health: Majority of Americans say states reopened too quickly — Fauci says task force will examine aerosolized spread.
  5. Business: The health care sector imploded in Q2 — More farmers are declaring bankruptcy — July's jobs report could be an inflection point for the recovery.
  6. Sports: Where college football's biggest conferences stand on playing.
Go deeper (<1 min. read)Arrow
Dave Lawler
31 mins ago - World

Nuclear free-for-all: The arms control era may be ending

Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios

The mushroom clouds over Hiroshima and Nagasaki have remained unreplicated for 75 years in part because the U.S. and Soviet Union — after peering over the ledge into nuclear armageddon — began to negotiate.

Why it matters: The arms control era that began after the Cuban Missile Crisis may now be coming to a close. The next phase could be a nuclear free-for-all.

Go deeper (3 min. read)Arrow
Rashaan Ayesh
2 hours ago - Politics & Policy

Pelosi, Schumer demand postmaster general reverse USPS cuts ahead of election

Schumer and Pelosi. Photo: Alex Wong/Getty Images

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer sent a letter to Postmaster General Louis DeJoy on Thursday calling for the recent Trump appointee to reverse operational changes to the U.S. Postal Service that "threaten the timely delivery of mail" ahead of the 2020 election.

Why it matters: U.S. mail and election infrastructure are facing a test like no other this November, with a record-breaking number of mail-in ballots expected as Americans attempt to vote in the midst of a pandemic.

Go deeper (1 min. read)Arrow