Analysis: Budget shows Trump’s trouble figuring out Congress
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump’s first budget proposal, snubbed by some Republican allies, is just the latest example of an administration that seems at times clueless or indifferent toward Congress.
Since becoming president, Trump has at times wrapped congressional Republicans in a clumsy embrace that many have welcomed, wooing House members with Oval Office facetime or trips on Air Force One. At other times he’s misread, ignored or disregarded both parties on Capitol Hill.
Early on, the administration’s botched rollout of Trump’s immigrant travel ban caught Republicans off-guard and scrambling to get basic information for their constituents. Two weeks ago, Trump fired FBI Director James Comey with little to no heads-up to GOP leaders, some of whom were left struggling to explain, much less defend, the president’s decision.
Now, with Trump’s approval rating hovering around 40 per cent and a special counsel investigating his campaign’s ties with Russia, some Republicans are concerned his stumbles could even cost them their House majority. As a result, Trump is receiving strikingly little deference on Capitol Hill for a president so early in his administration.