Analysis: Nancy Pelosi flexes her muscle over Trump

A theory floated around (including on this blog) has been that having Nancy Pelosi as House speaker might actually be a good thing for President Trump. The idea is that it provides him a tried-and-true foil for 2020 as the conservative media struggle to keep a fading Hillary Clinton in the role of bogeywoman.

That theory might have had it backward.

The first month of Pelosi’s return to the speakership has thus far served as a pretty resounding affirmation of her leadership and political acumen. And Wednesday epitomized it.

At the start of the day, we got a CBS News poll that tested the popularity of Washington’s leaders. Pelosi scored a 39 percent approval rating. That was shy of her disapproval — 50 percent — but it was significantly better than Trump’s split (36-59) and far better than Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s (R-Ky.) 25-55. It also appears to be her best mark in a poll since the last time she was speaker a decade ago.

The poll also notably tested her head-to-head with Trump, asking who was doing a better job with shutdown negotiations. Forty-seven percent chose Pelosi, while just 35 percent chose Trump. It also affirmed previous polling that showed the American people blame Trump and the Republicans for the shutdown by more than a 20-point margin — the kind of margin that has forced Republicans to fold during past shutdowns.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/analysis-nancy-pelosi-flexes-her-muscle-over-trump/ar-BBSG55z?li=BBnb7Kz