Trump Approval At 50% Ahead Of Tonight’s Speech To Congress – Amidst Democrat Plans To Protest

A new Rasmussen poll ahead of Donald Trump’s speech to congress tonight puts the President’s approval rating at 50% – two points above President Obama’s “strongly approve” rating from just one year ago.

The latest figures include 34% who Strongly Approve of the way Trump is performing and 41% who Strongly Disapprove.  This gives him a Presidential Approval Index rating of -7.

Obama’s “Strongly Approve” one year ago was 26%, while 40% “Strongly Disapproved,” giving him an Approval Index rating of -14.

45% of those polled also believe that the country is headed in the right direction – higher than any week during the Obama presidency, which ranged from the mid-to upper 20% range for most of 2016. Of note, only 32% of respondents felt the country was headed in the right direction after Trump’s election in November, a figure which has been steadily climbing.

Meanwhile, several congressional democrats are planning on protesting tonight’s speech. Rep. Eliot Engel (D-NY) is planning on skipping his running tradition of posting up at the edge of the aisle to shake the President’s hand

“This isn’t part of our normal political discourse, this goes beyond ideological and political differences,” Engel said, referring to reports of the Trump administration’s ties to Russia and efforts to repeal ObamaCare. “I will listen to what he has to say today, but I will not greet him and shake his hand.” -Fox News

Furthermore, Democrat Jarid Polis of Colorado will be bringing a guest “saved” by an Obama-era policy which spared the children of illegal immigrants from deportation, and Rep. Judy Chu (D-CA) will roll up with a 35 year old Iranian graduate student affected by Trump’s temporary ban on immigration from 7 terror-linked countries. Maxine Waters is planning on skipping the speech altogether.

I don’t remember any Republicans showing up to Obama’s last congressional address with one of the millions of Americans who saw their Obamacare premium double or triple, or families of Afghanistan 90% civilian casualty drone strike victims, or emaciated children withering away on Michelle Obama’s inedible public school food program – but hey, Trump’s a monster for enforcing existing laws and trying to prevent terrorists from entering the country.