Donald Trump: One year since the election and we're still in overdrive
By Washington bureau chief Zoe Daniel and Roscoe Whalan
Updated 10 Nov 2017, 4:20pm
November 9, 2016. (Reuters: Andrew Kelly)
Happy Anniversary.
It's a year since Donald Trump won the election.
I know.
This time in 2016 our bureau was in overdrive after a year following the campaign, criss-crossing the country to primaries and caucuses, debates and conventions, visiting big cities and small towns ahead of a political rollercoaster ride into the election itself.
Election day, for us, lasted several days as we worked around the clock to cover the vote, the results and the aftermath.
The day after Donald Trump's victory, after about 90 minutes of sleep, I found myself in Pittsburgh attending celebrations with his supporters and recording their reactions to his victory, which for them, was not unexpected.
And, all of a sudden, we're 12 months into the Trump administration, and still in overdrive.
Phew.
Check out the year in push alerts by Slate. Scary.
This week has provided an opportunity for reflection — in more ways than one.
President Trump shared this celebratory tweet to mark the occasion while in Asia:
Donald J. Trump
@realDonaldTrump
Congratulations to all of the ”DEPLORABLES” and the millions of people who gave us a MASSIVE (304-227) Electoral College landslide victory!
5:17 AM - Nov 9, 2017
And Vice President Mike Pence wrote an op-ed in USA Today saying it's been "a year of accomplishments".
Depends on your perspective, but there's been plenty going on that's for sure.
Speaking of the Asia trip, here's a summary in tweets:
David Nakamura
Audible gasp from reporters as Trump tells biz leaders in Beijing on trade imbalance: "I don't blame China. Who can blame a country for being able to take advantage of another country for benefit if their citizens? I give China great credit."
3:26 PM - Nov 9, 2017
Jake Tapper
The Chinese government never wants to take questions from US reporters. In the past American presidents have insisted upon it as a demonstration of standing up for the freedoms our nation believes in. 1/ https://twitter.com/kaitlancollins/status/928494673668296704 …
11:52 PM - Nov 9, 2017
Zoe Daniel
'America does not seek conflict and confrontation but we will never run from it" @realDonaldTrump “The regime has interpreted America’s past restraint as a weakness. This would be a fatal miscalculation”
1:52 PM - Nov 8, 2017
Zoe Daniel
POTUS @realDonaldTrump is giving a landmark speech in South Korea. "Korean golfers are some of the best on earth".
1:36 PM - Nov 8, 2017
You're welcome.
Take a look at the comments to see what some of our readers had to say about the first year of Mr Trump's presidency.
Now back to Election Tuesday
There were a series of statewide and local contests across America.
The biggest of those was the race to become Virginia's next Governor.
It was a race stacked in Democrat Ralph Northam's favour: his campaign had more money, history favoured the candidate from the party not in the White House and Donald Trump remains deeply unpopular in the state.
However, Larry Sabato, a political analyst who knows Virginia like the back of his hand, warned pundits not to underplay the victory either:
Larry Sabato
Dear Pundit Friends, please stop attributing this D landslide in VA to "changing demographics". VA hasn't changed that much since last Nov. 8 (Hillary by 5%). The bigger explanation is a backlash to Trump and Trumpism, pure and simple.
1:25 PM - Nov 8, 2017
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So, Ralph Northam's win was not a huge surprise. However, the margin of victory has sent shudders down the spines of Republicans across the country.
The loss has been dubbed a "canary in a coal mine" for Republicans, others say President Trump is a "pariah" for GOP hopefuls moving forward.
The President tweeted too — asserting that Republican Ed Gillespie lost because he distanced himself from the administration (he did do that):
Zoe Daniel
Dear Twitter. Revert to 140. https://twitter.com/realdonaldtrump/status/928074747316928513 …
12:42 PM - Nov 8, 2017
However here's former head of the RNC, Michael Steele:
Michael Steele
Did YOU win Virginia?
Ouch.
This week, two more Republicans announced they won't contest the 2018 midterms: Texas Congressman Ted Poe and Virginia Congressman Bob Goodlatte.
Virginia also saw some interesting new faces elected.
First, there was Danica Roem, the first openly transgender person to be elected to a state legislature in America. She beat out the author of a bill who wanted to restrict access to bathrooms for transgender people.
While many are calling it a victory for minorities, she ran a grassroots campaign on local issues — specifically a local road. When asked about the significance of her victory she said, "It will be historic when a transgender woman finally helps fix Route 28."
The other notable victor was Chris Hurst, the former partner of Allison Parker, a TV reporter who was shot and killed live on air back in 2015. He ran a campaign, in part, on reducing gun violence.
His election was a reminder of one of the horrible, yet defining elements of life in America
Another mass shooting at a church in Texas left 26 dead and around 20 injured this week.
America moved on very quickly as the ever shortening news cycle and ever increasing tragedy fatigue reduce the attention that these deadly events receive.
At the same time, Steve Scalise, the Republican House Whip who was shot and nearly died at a congressional baseball training earlier this year, awarded medals of honour to the police officers who responded when a gunman attacked.
His emotional speech was a fitting tribute. He also compared his private security detail to the efforts by locals in Texas who shot and chased the shooter.
Earlier in the week, Scalise had challenged 87-year-old Texas Republican Sam Johnson to a scooter race around the Capitol.
Rep. Steve Scalise
I challenged @SamsPressShop to a scooter race.
Here's what happened next.
8:00 AM - Nov 9, 2017
There's been no discussion about changing gun laws since the Las Vegas massacre five weeks ago. Even the debate about restrictions on rifle modifying bumpstocks has died off.
However, next week is shaping up to be another busy one on Capitol Hill
There are hearings about firearm regulations, the President's use of nuclear weapons, and Jeff Sessions will face the House Judiciary Committee on issues facing the Justice Department (including Russia).
Speaking of Russia... Let me introduce you to CNN's new Russia tracker. It has everything.
This week's most exciting development was the stunning 243-page transcript from former Trump foreign policy advisor Carter Page.
The focus of the testimony centres on a trip Page made to Russia in July 2016, where he made a commencement speech at the New Economic School in Moscow.
The speech was made just weeks before Donald Trump accepted the nomination (Page stressed that the trip was made in a capacity independent to the Trump campaign) and is surely part of Robert Mueller's investigation as well.
The highlights include Page bragging about his frequent flier points with Delta:
7 Nov
Josh Barro
Replying to @jbarro
Lol pic.twitter.com/mOVFaA0ZSA
Josh Barro
In which Carter Page brags about his elite status on Delta: pic.twitter.com/Wtj8A4kgkq
12:34 PM - Nov 7, 2017
And the fact that he went to Russia — although it was controversial — because he was "trying to live my life".
By the numbers
Thirty-six per cent — that's Donald Trump's approval rating a year since he won, according to a new CNN/ Gallop poll. How does that compare to former Presidents at the same mark? George W Bush was 87 per cent, Nixon was 67 per cent and Obama 54 per cent.
Where's Obama?
Well, he reported for jury duty in Chicago, much to the delight of fellow jurors:
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