Cracks in the facade

It has not been the best of weeks for President Donald Trump, which is increasingly becoming a bit of a refrain.  

The president saw his fellow Republicans in Congress rebuff him over the release of the Epstein files, including one-time BFF Marjorie Taylor Greene. His White House meeting with the Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was widely viewed as a misstep because of his rationalizing of the 2018 killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi by Saudi agents.

A federal court struck down the Texas redistricting map he supports. And according to a new Reuters/Ipsos poll, his popularity has hit a new low for his second term as high consumer costs continue to dog his administration.  

But, hey, at least turkey prices are down ahead of Thanksgiving! There's some good news. (But not all good. Read below.) 

Trump is a man who likes to dictate the action, so it must have been a source of endless frustration to watch the saga over convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein spin out of his control.

Last weekend, he finally decided to get ahead of the problem and endorsed the release of files related to the U.S. Justice Department's probe of Epstein's activities. That gave House Republicans permission to vote in favor of the release and keep with the wishes of Trump's MAGA base, which has made Epstein its cause celebre. 

Even so, the White House attempted to slow-walk a Senate vote on the measure, my colleague Nandita Bose reported this week. That effort was quickly stymied by the Senate's decision to approve the resolution by unanimous consent.  

Attorney General Pam Bondi said the Justice Department will release the files within 30 days. (Anyone want to bet on Thanksgiving Day?) What happens then? Nobody knows. But one of Trump's attempts at damage control could end up backfiring.

At Trump's request, Bondi opened an investigation of possible ties between prominent Democrats and Epstein. The department may need to redact parts of the files in the name of protecting that investigation, which could further inflame suspicions among Trump's supporters that they are still not being given the whole story.  

Away from the Epstein saga, Trump's efforts to tout a deeper economic and security relationship with Saudi Arabia were overshadowed by his defense of bin Salman, the de facto ruler commonly referred to as MBS. U.S. intelligence agencies concluded that bin Salman approved the capture or killing of Khashoggi at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. But Trump absolved him of any blame.  

"Things happen, but he knew nothing about it, and we can leave it at that," Trump said. He chided the reporter who asked a question about Khashoggi's murder. 

Trump and his supporters are beginning to sound like longtime roommates who are growing a little weary of each other. It hasn't been just the Epstein drama or Trump's increasing focus on foreign affairs. His MAGA base is also upset about Trump's pivot on H1-B visas, which he once criticized as taking away American jobs.  

Lately, Trump has been saying the country needs skilled foreign workers. On Wednesday, he called his supporters smart but said "they just don't understand." He said overseas businesses that invest in the U.S. need to bring "a lot of their people from their country" to build and open new facilities. 

Amid it all, Trump's approval rating tumbled to 38% in Reuters/Ipsos polling, a new low for his second term, as the Epstein saga and high prices took a toll. Somewhat surprisingly, he has acknowledged that his numbers are low but says they are rising with "smart people."  

On Wednesday, the White House released a memo citing the accomplishments of Trump's administration. A leading line item was that the price of turkey was down 16% from the previous year. 

Unfortunately, a Reuters' analysis found that yes, the flightless bird itself costs less than last year. But if you want any side dishes – pumpkin pie, stuffing, corn, sweet potatoes (yech) – they will cost your family more than they did last year, making the overall price of the meal 13% higher.  

That's not likely to earn Trump many toasts at the holiday table. And it underscores the work ahead for this White House. The major challenge for the president going forward is how to revive his flagging fortunes ahead of next year's midterm elections, when control of Congress will be at stake. 

Speaking of Thanksgiving, there will be no politics newsletter next week due to the holiday. Enjoy the peace and quiet.  

Follow Reuters/Ipsos polling on the president's approval ratings here.

European countries pushed back on Thursday against a U.S.-backed peace plan for Ukraine that sources said would require Kyiv to give up more land and partially disarm, conditions long seen by Ukraine's allies as tantamount to capitulation. 

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