The King and I
“He is currently at his lowest point in the second term. The single most important variable in midterm elections is the president’s job approval.”
— GOP pollster Whit Ayres, quoted by Politico, on President Trump’s abysmal approval ratings.
The Defining Issue of the Day
Dunno About You, But I’m Doing Just Fine
Back to 1861
Please Read This
I expect to post at least another 15-20 editorial cartoons, either as manual updates just above the diary poll or, in the comments section.
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In case you missed them, here are links to my recent diaries.
The Epstein Presidency
Jonathan Bernstein: “First of all, these speeches never have significant effects on public opinion about the president; nor do they change minds about the president’s policy choices. Yes, even now, after decades of evidence to the contrary, we still have headlines asking whether a State of the Union address can ‘fix’ Trump’s awful ‘polling’ and articles about how ‘Trump will have the spotlight as he seeks to sell his victories and convince a skeptical public that he is indeed focused on improving their lives.'”
“We know the answer: Any hope that the speech could ‘reignite the presidency’s momentum’ when it comes to public opinion is wishful thinking.”
“If it never worked for Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton, or Barack Obama – all of whom were much better speakers, especially in this format – it’s not going to happen for Donald Trump. Especially since they at least (especially Reagan) had the advantage of a captive audience, with fewer alternatives.”
Read more on Trump and the SOTU — Americans sour on Trump ahead of State of the Union, polls find
How to Watch the Speech
More of the Same
Civics 101
Erasing American History
Attribution: Rob Rogers @Rob_Rogers
Deader Than Dead
Do we get a refund?
Dan Pfeiffer: “The Supreme Court ruling, which included two justices appointed by Trump, is crystal clear: Trump did not have the authority to levy this tax on American businesses and consumers.”
“The tariffs were illegal. Trump took your money.”
“And it wasn’t a close call. The Court did not reverse itself or change precedent. This was not a novel reading of the Constitution or legislative text. Trump’s tariffs relied on an incredibly aggressive and unprecedented interpretation of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. Many legal experts — including Republicans — warned that Trump was on shaky legal ground and that even a very pro-Trump Supreme Court could strike them down.”
“Yet Trump took your money anyway, and now he won’t give it back.”
Back to School
MAGA Deadenders
Ya Can’t Put Humpty Dumpty Together Again
LOLOL
Partners in Crime
A new Strength In Numbers/Verasight poll finds President Trump at his lowest point on virtually every metric.
“Trump’s overall job approval has fallen to net -22, and he’s now underwater or tied on every single issue we track, including border security, which had been his last remaining bright spot. Democrats have opened a 10-point lead on the generic congressional ballot, the widest we’ve recorded.”
“And voters disapprove of Trump’s tariff policy — presumably his focus, according to Vance, and which was largely invalidated by the Supreme Court last week — by 21 points.”
Lots of Hot Air
The Truth
Looking Back
How Long Can This Last?
A Clarification from MAGA
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The joke lands because the scandal is real: deflection as governance. When officials spend more energy denying optics than releasing facts, it’s not a misunderstanding, it’s a cover. Public money, private loyalty, buried evidence. Accountability keeps getting postponed while trust gets looted.
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— Ashok Dadhwal (@ashokdadhwal.bsky.social) February 24, 2026 at 6:52 PM
More, More, More!
Heard Over at the Olympics
