This story first appeared at SB Newsmakers.
Last week, a new CNN poll showed that 58 percent of Americans judge Donald Trump’s first year in office to be a “failure.”
In the Before Times, such abysmal ratings for a U.S. president at this point in his term not only would lead to a shakeup of his administration, but also portend a colossal defeat in the next cycle of congressional midterm elections.
Trump’s reaction to such numbers, of course, is simply to spin the gaslight up to full blast, and to double down on what he’s already doing. And why not — throughout his time in public life, he’s consistently proved immune to the laws of political gravity. That said, his public survey ratings truly are horrendous, and the 2026 midterms now present the large majority of Americans appalled at his conduct in office their best opportunity to manifest outrage and opposition on behalf of a course correction.
On the one-year anniversary of Trump’s inauguration — and 287 days before the crucial November 3 election — we reconvened our periodic panel of political professionals on Tuesday, to seek their assessments and insights about what his widely-unpopular policies have inflicted on the country — and to invite their fearless forecasts of what the political and policy fallout is likely to be.
Award-winning political writer Carla Marinucci, esteemed media strategist Bill Carrick, and investigative journalist and author Dan Morain join the genial host to discuss the damage wrought by Trump’s kakistocracy — and whether any of it can be reversed; the state of Democratic pushback and prospects for the mid-terms; and the early maneuverings and machinations by Trump’s wannabe successors.
The gang also turns its focus to the political landscape in California, with some well-informed and battle-scarred observations about the ongoing race for governor, the push by labor groups for an initiative to hammer oligarchs with higher taxes, and the activities of the state’s two leading national figures, Governor Gavin Newsom and erstwhile Vice President Kamala Harris.
Plus: several barrels of extra-bitter vitriol spewed on the dead-bear-dumping, measles-epidemic-peddling, brain-worm-afflicted, sexual deviant Health and Human Services Secretary Robert Kennedy.
There were no injuries.
All this and more, right here, right now on Newsmakers TV.
Check out the discussion with our All-Star Panel of National Political Pundits via YouTube below, or by clicking through this link. Our podcast is available on Apple, Spotify, or on Soundcloud here. TVSB, Channel 17, airs the show every weeknight at 5 p.m. and at 9 a.m. on weekends. KCSB, 91.9 FM, broadcasts the program at 5:30 p.m. on weekends.
