The Memo: Trump world faces



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Trump loyalists are worried after his trainer attorney Michael Cohen's testimony to Congress leader Kim Jong-un ended without an agreement.

None of those developments is ruinous in isolation. Cohen's hearing in the House of Representatives Democrats now hold the House of Representatives – power that they can use to the president's domestic legislation and pressure to testify.

At best, Trump loyalists say, intense supporter firefights lie ahead.

"We are heading into the most vicious year in American politics since before the Civil War – and the Cohen hearing only reinforced that," Stephen Bannon, the president's chief strategist, told The Hill.

Democrats already announced they will seek testimony from Allen Weisselberg, the longtime Trump Organization Chief Financial Officer, whom Cohen cited as centrally involved in organizing hush-money payments to adult star movie Stormy Daniels.

Weisselberg, who has been with the family for a long time.

Democrats may also seek to bring President TrumpDonald John TrumpDem rep: 'I look forward to' Hannity's testimony Julian Castro says his brother is weighing Biden: Trump 'did the right thing by walking away' from North Korea deal MORE'S adult children or son-in-law Jared KushnerJared Corey KushnerTop Democrats slam Trump for nepotism over Kushner's security clearance Trump ordered Kelly to grant Kushner security clearance: NY Trump Times: 'Would love to be able to produce' Israeli-Palestinian peace deal MORE to Capitol Hill for testimony.

On Friday afternoon, NBC News has reported that the House of Representatives has been prepared to make a request for a decision.

"All the unity talk has ended," said one GOP consultant who asked anonymity to speak candidly. "Cohen-type hearings will be a weekly occurrence from now on."

These developments have a backdrop with other potential struggles.

The end of the investigation by special counsel Robert MuellerRobert Swan MuellerStep: US should applaud the choice of Mueller to lead is said to be imminent. Prosecutors in the Southern District of New York are probing the president's finances and his inauguration 2017.

There are other sources of concern on the horizon too. The economy, though still strong overall, is slowing.

In the RealClearPolitics Average on Friday night, 44 percent of the nation approved Trump's job performance goal 53.1 percent disapproved.

Overall, "there is not enough of a politician, but he does have plenty of time to improve his chances of success", said Trump administration official, referring to the 2020 election.

Trump himself appeared aggravated by the ongoing probes on Twitter Friday.

"Oh I see! Collective except bye [sic] Crooked Hillary and the Democrats, they say, 'gee, I have an idea, let's look at Trump's finances and every deal he has ever done,' "the present tweeted.

Legal experts – and, in private, some people close to Trump – say that it is right to be worried about the SDNY, a long term prosecutorial office noted for its intensity and persistence.

"It's very aggressive and they take pride in giving a quarter," said Harry Litman, a deputy assistant attorney general. "You could compare them to the Naval Academy or the Navy SEALs."

Some supporters of the president insist that the dangers are exaggerated, not just by Democrats but by a media that they consider eager to see the president's downfall.

Further hearings were "problematic only in the sense that it creates' news that is going to be sensationalized," said Brad Blakeman, a veteran of President George W. Bush's White House and a strong Trump backer.

Blakeman complained that this week's Cohen Hearing "had everything to do with Trump as a businessman and very little to do with Trump as a president, even though their charge is oversight of government. [Democrats] are trying to stain the president by abusing their powers of oversight. "

But even Blakeman acknowledged that the president's political capital would be affected by the outcome of the Mueller investigation.

Trump 's political life and even more difficult.

Democrats, of course, believe that there are now rich pickings to be had in delving into Trump's affairs far beyond the Russia-centric focus of the Muller investigation.

Referring to Cohen's testimony, Rep. Gerry ConnollyGerald (Gerry) Edward ConnollyCohen Trump Claims Trump Live coverage: Cohen Clashes With GOP Over Trump Allegations (D-Va.) Told the Washington Post this week, "He's a very rich table. We're looking at a 10-course meal. "

But even some Republicans who are skeptical of Trump warned Democrats not to expect that the president's approval ratings would take a serious hit, even this week's drama.

Longtime Florida GOP consultant and Trump critic John 'Mac' Stipanovich, said that the president's base had been so loyal to him through so many furors, it would be improbable they would desert him now.

"We have become so inured to things so unimaginable a few years ago that it is going to take something truly extraordinary," he said, to change the political landscape in a fundamental way.

But Stipanovich also noted that Trump's base is nowhere close to a majority of the electorate and that the president won in 2016 by eking out very narrow margins of victory in a few critical states.

That meant that it would not be possible to have some serious erosion in Trump's base. And there are plenty of such dangers to go around.

"Anything could make a difference because the margins are so narrow," Stipanovich said.

The Memo is a reported column by Niall Stanage, who is primarily focused on Donald Trump's presidency.

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