Oklahomans willing to give Trump credit
THE “resistance” to President Trump remains strong in left-leaning parts of the country where activists are convinced Trump has no idea what he’s doing, or that his entire administration is corrupt, or that he colluded with Russia, or … you name it.
Trump’s brashness has invited some of this criticism. His regular tweets, which often are mean-spirited or defensive and have a stream-of-consciousness feel, and some questionable policy moves such as his recent tariffs on steel and aluminum, only inspire more condemnation and fuel the all-out push by Democrats to reclaim control of Congress in the midterm elections.
Trump’s approach also clouds the accomplishments achieved during his first 15 months in office, something Rep. Tom Cole, R-Moore, touched on during two recent town hall meetings with 4th District constituents. Chief among these are the Republican tax cut plan approved in December and his selection of Neil Gorsuch as the newest Supreme Court justice.
As The Oklahoman’s Justin Wingerter reported, the tenor at Cole’s meetings was much less confrontational than in August, when one town hall in Norman lasted nearly six hours and had attendees sniping at each other and, occasionally, at Cole. The change this time probably owed a good bit to the lunchtime scheduling, and to the fact that in August, Congress was trying to repeal the Affordable Care Act — a hot-button issue of the first order.
Then again, it’s also true that Trump won Oklahoma easily in his 2016 race against Hillary Clinton, and his approval rating in this conservative state is at 54 percent according to one polling firm, which outpaces most national polls (the closest is Rasmussen Reports, which this week had Trump’s favorability at 50 percent, ahead of Barack Obama’s at the same point in his presidency).
Consequently, the investigation by special counsel Robert Mueller into alleged Russian collusion, which continues to dominate the news cycles, prompted only one question during Cole’s two town halls last week. Cole used it to say Trump and the administration don’t get enough credit for their dealings with Russia.
Although critics argue that Trump is too cozy with Russian President Vladimir Putin, “This administration actually is the first administration to send lethal aid – that is, the ability to kill Russians – to Ukraine,” Cole said, and it’s been successful move. The “ultimate message” to Russia is the U.S. military buildup that’s underway, Cole said. “So, I actually think he’s been much tougher on the Russians than the last administration was.”
Although Trump chose not to implement congressionally approved sanctions against Russia in January, he did recently send Russian diplomats packing following the poisoning in Britain — apparently by the Russian government — of a former double agent.
“He just expelled 66 Russian diplomats and there was this whole thing, ‘Well, he should have done it in person,” Cole told his town hall audience. “Every now and then, give the guy credit for what he did.”
Most Oklahomans are willing to do exactly that, while putting aside the policies and audacious pronouncements that keep the “resistance” in overdrive.