'Sleazeball' Trump bewildered by public rejection of his unpopular agenda: report

U.S. President Donald Trump looks on as a member of the media raises their hand, at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., August 1, 2025. REUTERS/Jessica Koscielniak
Editor Michael Tomasky tells the New Republic that President Donald Trump appears frustrated that he’s not more popular.
“He complains, we read, that he’s accomplished a great deal and that he’s keeping his campaign promises … So he can’t figure out why he’s at 37 percent,” writes Tomasky.
“I could tell him why,” Tomasky adds—and No. 1 is likely because the promises he’s managing to keep are unpopular.
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“The big, ugly bill—unpopular. Rounding up poor guys hanging out at Home Depot looking for work—unpopular. Putting people in, yes, concentration camps—unpopular,” writes Tomasky. “Cutting his Palm Beach pals’ taxes—unpopular. Imposing these absurd tariffs—unpopular. I could go on. There is literally not a single important item on the Trump domestic agenda that polls well.”
And you can’t discount the promises Trump’s broken, Tomasky said. These include lowering prices on day one, ending Russia’s war on Ukraine and bringing peace to the Middle East, among others.
But Trump’s policy failures pale in comparison to his other major flaw keeping his numbers low, said Tomasky.
“He’s a sleazeball, and more and more people are finally coming to realize it. The Jeffrey Epstein matter is Exhibit A, of course, but there is much more. The way he and his family are getting rich from the presidency is just obscene. Have you ever gone to TrumpStore.com? If not, have a look. It’s relentlessly garish, of course, but more than that, it’s relentlessly and proudly, defiantly overpriced. Yet these idiots buy this crap by the millions.”
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But it’s Epstein that is catching up with him, writes Tomasky. And that story is far from over.
“Have you read the testimony of “Katie Johnson? You might want to familiarize yourself with it. Obviously, I have no idea whether it’s true. If a third of it is, and it’s ever corroborated, it will be by far the biggest presidential scandal of all time ..."
According to Tomasky, Trump's budget bill is leaving Republican politicians vulnerable to public criticism, as the legislation appears to punish average citizens while benefiting wealthy elites and expanding government power.
“That would be accountability, which would be uncomfortably close to democracy,” writes Tomasky. “Can’t have that.”
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Read the full New Republic report at this link.