THE PRESIDENT HOLDS – AT 11:31 A.M.  It's been a bad week at the stock market, but President Trump continues to hold strong in the polls.  We may well be seeing a change in perception and a weariness on the part of voters with the monotony of the anti-Trump press.  From Rasmussen: 

The Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll for Friday shows that 49% of Likely U.S. Voters approve of President Trump’s job performance. Fifty percent (50%) disapprove.

The latest figures include 35% who Strongly Approve of the way the president is performing and 42% who Strongly Disapprove. This gives him a Presidential Approval Index rating of -7. (see trends).

Since last week’s State of the Union address, Trump’s approval ratings have been running slightly ahead of where Barack Obama was at this stage of his presidency. 

COMMENT:  My own sense, from what I read and hear, is that people are getting used to the president's, uh, unusual style of leadership, his eccentricities, even his show-biz bravado.  They are looking more and more at what he does and what he stands for, and liking enough of it to give him a thumbs up.

This can change on a dime.  But if Mr. Trump continues to rise in popularity, it can have a dramatic effect on this year's midterm elections.

February 9,  2018