Trump allies brace for republican losses in US Congress elections - WP

According to two sources, the White House legal counsel's office is conducting closed-door briefings for politically appointed administration officials on how best to prepare for congressional oversight.

The reason: staff is starting to brace for the likelihood of significant Democratic gains in the November midterms.

Specifically, the briefings — which have taken place and lasted about 30 minutes — included a PowerPoint presentation on how congressional oversight works and best practices for handling it.

Legal office staff urged political appointees to be careful about what they put in writing and provided guidance on responding to congressional requests in a timely manner.

"It’s obvious to everyone that it’s very likely... It was a sober-eyed conversation," said one of two officials present at a closed briefing, referring to the likelihood of Republicans losing at least one chamber.

However, some later briefings — at least some of which have occurred within the last month — took place in a very different context and have a strong midterm flavor.

At least some staff viewed these briefings as preparation, given the growing sense within the Trump administration that the Republican Party is in trouble and that it's time to prepare for worst‑case scenarios.

Trump's rating is falling

Several weeks ago, Sky News reported that US President Donald Trump's job approval rating had hit a new low.

According to a poll conducted from March 30 to April 13, only 37% of adults approve of his performance as head of state. Half of the respondents strongly disapprove of the US leader's performance, and 63% express disagreement with his actions.

Also, a week ago, Reuters reported that Trump's approval rating had fallen to a record low for his current term, standing at 34%.