Outside the Beltway

A powerful political network is distancing itself from the Trump-dominated Republican Party.

The recent report of 4.1% GDP growth over the previous quarter is indeed welcome news. However, taking a look at the data both recent and in the past and there are some reasons to be concerned about GDP growth in general.

Trump’s trade war will claw back 25% of the growth in GDP, slightly more than 20% of the wage growth and more than wipe out all the jobs his tax cuts would provide.

The economy grew at an exceptionally strong pace according to the first estimate of GDP growth, but several caveats remain.

Deficits continue to rise.

New York and several other states have filed an incredibly dubious lawsuit against the Republican’s new tax law.

Despite Republican hopes, the tax cuts passed by Congress in December are not manifesting themselves in increased wages.

Total nonfarm payroll employment increased by 213,000 in June and the unemployment rate rose to 4.0 percent.

Donald Trump wants Republicans to make his immigration policies the centerpiece of the midterm campaign. What could possibly go wrong?

The President continues to enjoy enthusiastic support from the over-65 set.

May’s jobs report was stronger than the previous two months, but not entirely great.

Don’t look for a Trump agenda for the rest of the year. It doesn’t exist.

The first estimate of economic growth in the first three months of 2018 beat expectations slightly, but it doesn’t bode well for the immediate future.

The transformation is complete. The GOP is now the party of Donald Trump. If you’re sticking around and not speaking out against what the President represents, you’re part of the problem, not part of the solution.

An essay from earlier in the year by Jacob T. Levy underscores some of the points I recently tried to make about democratic norms in the current era.

Republicans are blaming the President for the fading popularity of the tax reform law passed in December. It’s more complicated than that.

Republicans have been hoping that the tax bill passed in December would help them in the midterms. That’s appearing to be less and less likely by the day.

We’re set to return to the era of trillion dollar budget deficits, and Republicans won’t do a thing about it.

Trump’s tariff plan isn’t going over well in farm country, and that could cause problems for the GOP in November.

Speaking of trade war talk…

The DJIA (and other markets) are not too happy about all of this trade war talk.

Donald Trump broke his silence on Stormy Daniels. That was a bad idea.

Republicans are claiming that Conor Lamb won Tuesday’s Special Election in Pennsylvania because he campaigned as a conservative. These people are either deluded or lying.

Best known as a television host, he served in the Reagan administration and chief economist of Bear Stearns.

Individual races are idiosyncratic. But there are nonetheless some lessons here.

It is a fair question. But judging the Trump administration on tax cuts, Gorsuch, and the DJIA is to ignore a lot of profound problems.

A better than expected jobs report for February, but wage growth slowed for the month.

The legal distinction between “personal capacity” and “official capacity” makes no sense for senior presidential appointees.

The chairman of the White House Council of Economic Advisors is out after failing to convince the boss not to impose tariffs.

POLITICO buries the lede in making the case for “Donald Trump’s bubble presidency.”

Democrats appear to have regained momentum in the Generic Congressional Ballot.

The Trump Administration is seeking to overhaul the food stamps program.

Republicans spent the eight years of Obama Administration railing against fiscal irresponsibility. Now that they have power, they’re the ones being fiscally irresponsible.

While most of America slept, the government was shutdown thanks to some faux theatrics by a single Senator.

Congress seems likely to pass a budget deal today that will massively increase spending, putting to rest once and for all the rank hypocrisy of Republicans when it comes to claims that they are “fiscally conservative.”

Donald Trump spent much of the past year touting the rising stock market, now he’s getting a lesson in reality.

In addition to deadlines on the Federal Budget and DACA, Congress also has to deal with the debt ceiling at some point in the next month.

The President talked about national unity last night, but given his own rhetoric as a candidate and as a President, it’s a call that seems to be hypocritical.

The economy grew in the final quarter of 2017, but at a slower pace than earlier in the year and far slower than what the President has promised.

It’s been seven years since Congress eliminated earmarking, and what we’ve seen has provided good evidence for the argument that it should never have been eliminated.

President Trump called on Senate Republicans to eliminate the legislative filibuster to resolve the government shutdown. That’s not going to happen.

One year after his Inauguration, Donald Trump is the most unpopular new President since the invention of modern polling. However, his numbers are generally the same that they’ve been for some time now.

A new poll shows President Trump losing to a “Generic Democrat.” This poll means nothing.

Republicans passed their tax bill yesterday. What that means for the economy and the 2018 midterms is another question.

The final version of the tax bill appears to be on track for passage, but the devil is in the details.

House and Senate Republicans say they have reached agreement on a final tax bill, and Democrats are engaging in an effort to delay a vote in the Senate until Doug Jones can be seated.

President Trump has formally endorsed an accused child molester for the United States Senate.

The Senate passed a tax cut bill last night, but it leaves a lot to be desired.

With time running out in the year, it’s looking increasingly unlikely that the Senate GOP will be able to meet its deadlines on passing a tax reform bill.

President Trump put his thumb on the scale for Roy Moore, ignoring the allegations of harassment and sexual abuse that have been made against the candidate.