Almost everything went President Donald Trump’s way this week, giving him rare straight A’s from both our politically opposite graders of the Washington Secrets weekly White House Report Card.
Overshadowing everything this week was the surprising approval by Israel and Hamas of the president’s 20-point peace plan, beginning with a prisoner swap and return of Israelis captured in the horrific Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack on civilians.
International presidents, Democratic leaders, and most of his critics gave Trump and his team kudos for pushing the deal through, something that presidents since Jimmy Carter have tried to do. Just journalists and TV hosts suffering from Trump Derangement Syndrome refused to give Trump credit, an added bonus for the White House.
Trump also made good on promises to start draining the swamp of bureaucratic fat, and his effectiveness in cutting the illegal immigrant population was confirmed.
The only bump was Wall Street’s disaster day on Friday in response to Trump’s latest tariff rant against China.
Democratic pollster John Zogby, who regularly grades Trump with an F, dished up a solid A due to the peace plan. Conservative analyst Jed Babbin gave Trump an A-plus for his Gaza plan.
John Zogby
Grade: A
Against a backdrop of unwanted federalized troops in Portland and Chicago, a government shutdown that is hurting a lot of people and shows no signs of being resolved, and a controversy over presenting King Charles III with former President Dwight Eisenhower’s sword — which was not his to give —President Donald Trump scored a huge success.
His 20-point Israel-Hamas plan for a ceasefire and hostage release is deeply flawed, but it is happening. The Israeli Cabinet accepted it. The Palestinian Authority, Hamas, and Islamic Jihad have accepted it. Arab countries have as well. Israelis, Palestinians, and Americans are cheering.
Trump defied his critics by announcing a victory lap ceremony before any signing, thereby forcing the two-side’s hands. But it seems to have worked, and he is traveling to Egypt, where the deal was signed, and Israel this weekend.
There are many unresolved issues, and this may not work in the long run. But this week, I give credit where it is due. He got something done, and people will be safer at least in the short run.
Jed Babbin
Grade: A+
President Donald Trump had an awesome week because the only two major news stories were the peace deal he engineered between the Hamas terrorists and Israel and the Schumer Shutdown. The former resulted in Trump smelling like a rose, and the latter with Democrats smelling something like fecal matter.
The Trump peace deal was approved by the Israeli Cabinet and the Hamas leadership. Israeli troops have already begun withdrawing from Gaza, and the remaining hostages — alive and dead — are supposed to be released on Monday or Tuesday. Trump has been invited to address the Israeli parliament.
The peace deal, if it holds, is an incredible achievement by both Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. It would also be an omen of expanded Abraham Accords, the treaties under which Arab nations recognize Israel and make peace with it.
The government shutdown continues with no end in sight. The Democrats are still insisting that their price for ending it is reinstatement of COVID-19-era Obamacare subsidies and Medicaid for illegal immigrants. They are so tone deaf it is truly amazing.
Trump is also considering sending Tomahawk cruise missiles to Ukraine. That action could break the stalemate of the war by hurting Russia’s oil production and exports enormously. Trump’s seemingly endless patience with Russian President Vladimir Putin may be at an end. Let’s hope so.
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John Zogby is the founder of the Zogby Survey and senior partner at John Zogby Strategies. His latest book is Beyond the Horse Race: How to Read Polls and Why We Should. His podcast with son and managing partner and pollster Jeremy Zogby can be heard here. Follow him on X @ZogbyStrategies.
Jed Babbin is a Washington Examiner contributor and former deputy undersecretary of defense in the administration of former President George H.W. Bush. Follow him on X @jedbabbin.