Even a stellar economy can't save Donald Trump

Donald Trump's only positive play for reelection in 2020 is to emphasize the economy, which has stayed remarkably strong despite Trump’s capricious handling of trade and U.S. foreign policy. But according to recent polling, even the stellar economy can't save Trump from the firehouse of irredeemable qualities that pour forth from him on a daily and, indeed, hourly basis.

Even though a Quinnipiac poll released last Tuesday found that 71% of voters view the economy as "good" or "excellent"—an 18-year high—only 48% of voters approve of Trump's handling of the economy, while 45% disapprove of it. That's remarkable. As Quinnipiac polling's assistant director Tim Malloy observed, "The nation’s economy is pretty darn good and President Donald Trump’s approval numbers are pretty darn awful."

You can say that again. The polling suggests that only a slim slice of the electorate that disapproves of Trump overall, 57% of voters, is willing to give him any credit for the economy. Trump's approvals are currently slumping at a meager 38%.

Part of the disconnect between the economy and Trump's polling is due to the fact that voters believe his trade policies are both hurting the economy and their personal pocketbooks.

Voters say 48 - 40 percent the president's trade policies are bad for the U.S. economy, and say 44 - 36 percent that these policies are bad for their personal financial situation.

And similar to several other polls this year, a majority of voters, 54%, are pledging that they "definitely" won’t vote for Trump, while only 31% say they "definitely" will vote for Trump.

So the next time you hear someone chastising Democrats for failing to reach out to Trump voters, ask them what Trump has ever done to reach out to anyone beyond his base.