Axios

President Trump triggered front-page coverage across the land by tweeting yesterday that "all agree the U. S. President has the complete power to pardon."

All don't agree. But associates say Trump's position on pardons (and willingness to fire special counsel Bob Mueller) is no surprise in light of the contempt he showed for a 40-year tradition by refusing to release his tax returns, and his decision to fire FBI Director Jim Comey against the advice of some top West Wing officials (to say nothing of the fact that it was one of the dumbest political mistakes in the modern era).

The takeaway: When Trump makes decisions, he doesn't think in terms of constitutional or ethical lines. He doesn't torture himself over the separation of powers. Instead, he still thinks of himself as a CEO trying to gain advantage in transactions. He wants to brawl, and he doesn't care how it looks.

At the six-month mark of his presidency, America is becoming less impressed with Donald Trump's performance as president. And this is how he compares to his predecessors:

• No other president has received an approval rating as low as Trump in their first six months in office.
• Trump has received a lower approval rating than Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, and Gerald Ford ever had in office.
• Many former presidents received their highest approval ratings early on, some within the first 6 months.