Axios

With President Trump's base support beginning to erode and a Republican-held Congress failing to achieve any of its chief policy aims, the stage seems set for a Democratic takeover of the legislative branch in 2018. But Democrats are staring down one huge obstacle: the Senate map.

The problem: 25 Senate seats currently held by Democrats or independents caucusing with them are up for election in 2018 — more than half of the Democratic caucus. Even more significantly, 10 of those seats are in states that voted for Trump in 2016. Conversely, just eight Republican seats are up for election with only one in a state that went for Hillary Clinton.

President Trump said he was "very thankful" for Vladimir Putin's sanctions on U.S. ambassadors because "we're trying to cut down our payroll." Here's how members of the foreign service community reacted:

In support:

• Dan Fried, who was U.S. ambassador to Poland and Coordinator for Sanctions Policy at the State Department, told ABC News: "If in a generous mood, you could argue that POTUS is showing Putin that he isn't bothered by this."

In opposition:

• Nicholas Burns, a former ambassador to NATO and former Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs, tweeted: "As a Foreign Service veteran, I find it lamentable that our great career diplomats are treated with such disrespect by their President."
• Barbara Stephenson, the president of the American Foreign Service Association, the diplomats' union released a statement: "America's leadership is being challenged by adversaries who would like to see us fail. We cannot let that happen. With all the threats facing our nation, we need a properly resourced and staffed Foreign Service more than ever, and we need them where they do the most good—posted abroad, delivering for the American people."
• Aaron Miller, a Middle East diplomat and negotiator, tweeted: "Having served at State for 25 yrs under R/Ds, Trump's defense of Putin over expelled US diplomats one of most shameful of his presidency."
• Michael McFaul, former U.S. ambassador to Russia and on Obama's National Security Council, tweeted: "Imagine dissing Americans --patriots serving our country under difficult conditions in Russia -to praise Putin. Our president did today."
• Rep. Eliot L. Engel, ranking member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, released a statement: "After weeks of silence regarding Vladimir Putin's outrageous expulsion of hundreds of U.S. embassy personnel, President Trump once again let Russia off the hook and instead insulted America's diplomats. No doubt, the President's staff will eventually try to clean up after the parade by claiming it was a joke, but there's nothing funny about this."
• Heather Conley, former State Department official, told Reuters that the expulsions of hundreds of people from an important U.S. embassy is extraordinary and "it is very difficult to see how the president could view these expulsions as a 'positive' development in any form."
• Rep. Don Beyer tweeted: "I served as an Ambassador under Obama. It's astonishing to see our President submissively take Putin's side against US State Dept personnel."
• Dana Smith, a former ambassador, tweeted: "Disgusting. America Last. Again."

The new Trump International Hotel at the Old Post Office in D.C. didn't meet revenue expectations last fall, but the hotel brought in $18 million in the first four months of 2017 — exceeding the company's goals, according to financial records obtained by the Wall Street Journal.

• The catch: The Trump hotel bumped their room rates from the planned $416 to $660 per night. Food and drink, which also is priced higher than budgeted, made up almost half the hotel's revenue for the first months of 2017.
• Perspective: Comparable hotels charge about $495 per night, according to WSJ, and have a 69% occupancy rate. Meanwhile, the Trump hotel charges $660 per night and has a 44% occupancy rate.
• Why it matters: While new hotels tend to grow their revenue over time and Donald Trump no longer runs the Trump Organization, it's hard to imagine Trump becoming president didn't spark a bump in room rates.

Barack Obama is planning a comeback to the political scene this fall, though his reemergence is causing some consternation amongst his allies and Democratic strategists, according to The Hill's Amie Parnes, who co-authored the Clinton campaign post-mortem Shattered.

• The plan: Obama is already working behind the scenes fundraising for the Democratic apparatus, but he'll take on a public role this fall campaigning for Virginia gubernatorial candidate Ralph Northam — as well as other candidates who, according to an Obama aide, "[remain] to be seen."
• The worry: President Trump shaped his political career around antagonizing Obama, so an active role for the former POTUS might help Trump stabilize support with his flagging base.
• Why it matters: Obama is in a rare position amongst former presidents — relatively scandal-free and popular — so his next political move could have a huge influence with Democrats largely in disarray.

Most Americans are both paying attention to the news surrounding the nuclear threat from North Korea and worried about the potential for war, according to a new poll from Public Policy Polling, a Democratic polling firm, given exclusively to Axios.