C-SPAN’s Washington Journal Open Phones dives into Venezuela’s legislative deadlock, with House voting while Senate waits until Monday. Trump boasts $18T economic growth and record stock markets in Detroit, but critics like Jeffries and Alabama Independent Jason cite rising costs, billionaire tax breaks, and shrinking manufacturing jobs—contrasting with Biden’s policies. Polls show 42% approval vs. 58% failure ratings, exposing stark divides on inflation (61% disapprove), affordability, and systemic change, leaving viewers to debate whether Trump’s first year earns an A or a zero. [Automatically generated summary]
The House is also expected to vote on legislation to block further U.S. military action in Venezuela.
Senators failed to advance a similar measure last week.
The Senate is out with members in a state work period, not scheduled to return for votes until Monday.
Watch live coverage of the House on C-SPAN, the Senate on C-SPAN 2, and all of our congressional coverage on our free video app, C-SPAN Now, and our website, C-SPAN.org.
C-SPAN, Democracy Unfiltered.
We're funded by these television companies and more, including Cox.
We start this morning taking a look at the president's first year in office in his second term.
I want to show you two editorials from opposing sides of the political spectrum.
First up, we have an editorial from the New York Post.
The headline is, How Trump's First Year Victories Tee Up Affordability Wins in Year Two.
This is written by Republican Congressman Mike Lauer.
And he says that 12 months ago, Americans were rightfully angry about the record inflation under Joe Biden and Kamala Harris with rates that reached nearly 9% in mid-2022.
What a difference a year makes today as President Trump marks the one-year anniversary of his second inauguration.
We're at the lowest inflation rate in five years, excuse me, down 70% from that painful peak under Biden.
Now, on the other side of the aisle, we have the New York Post, I mean, the New York Times, excuse me, with an editorial out.
The headline here is one year of Trump, the time to act is now while we still can.
That's written by M. Jessen, who says deeper down in the article, he says, to be sure, some of these elements of our current condition predate Trump.
This is a country that has long maintained the world's largest carceral system and one of the least humane systems in the Western world.
And he keeps going to say, I'm not arguing that we have become this year, that what we have become this year is just more of the same.
Few people would make this argument anymore.
But the truth is, even though we are taught to think of history as a series of definitive turning points with specific dates, wars, revolutions, assassinations, declarations of independence, and decrees announcing martial law, no transformation is instant or total.
This Trump administration has moved at breakneck speed, and still it hasn't broken anything, broken everything yet, the article says.
Now we have a slate of recent polls that show how Americans are feeling about this administration just one year in.
I turn first to a poll from Real Clear Politics.
It says 42% of Americans approve approve of the president's job approval so far, 55% disapprove.
In another poll, it breaks down by subjects.
Economy, 56 disapprove, 40% approve.
On inflation, 61 disapprove, 37% approve.
On immigration, 51 disapprove, 47% approve on foreign policy, 54 disapprove, and 41 approve.
Now, in a CNN article, I mean, CNN poll that was released just a week ago, they say that according to those surveyed, 58% of Americans that they surveyed view the president's first year in his second term as a failure, opposed to just 42% who say it is a success.
Now, President Trump was in Detroit last week talking about how he feels that his administration has made headway on the economy when he was touting those wins that he believes that he's racked up in his first year in office.
Now, after less than 12 months in office, I'm back in Michigan to report to you on the strongest and fastest economic turnaround in our country's history.
It's really been historic.
There's never been, there's never been, we're not 12 months, we're through 11 months.
We've got $18 trillion being invested in our country.
The most of any country ever was three.
We're at 18.
There's never been anything like this.
You are so lucky I allow you into this room to even be with me.
I'm kidding.
I'm kidding.
unidentified
The fake news will say, Donald Trump thinks he's hot stuff.
Right now I'm feeling pretty good, though, I will say.
Now we are the hottest country anywhere in the world.
That was said to me by many leaders.
By almost every metric, we have quickly gone from the worst numbers on record to the best and strongest numbers, the most dynamic numbers, and an economy that is far ahead of even my optimistic.
I had a very optimistic schedule.
I thought, I didn't think it was, but people said it was very optimistic.
Turns out to be very pessimistic by compared to what we've done.
But we'll go down as the greatest in history, greatest first year in history nobody's ever had, just based on the numbers.
One year later, the Trump administration has been a complete and total failure, and the American people know it.
And Republicans haven't done a damn thing to make life better for working class Americans, everyday Americans, and middle-class Americans, despite promising that costs were going to go down on day one.
Costs haven't gone down in the United States of America.
With Republican control of the House, the Senate, and the presidency, costs have gone up.
Inflation skyrocketing out of control.
Housing costs out of control.
Grocery costs out of control.
Utility bills out of control.
Child care costs out of control.
And health care costs out of control.
Everyday Americans are suffering under the oppressive nature of the Trump Republican economy.
And it's time for some congressional action to actually keep your word as Republicans based on what you said you would do, which is to focus on addressing the high cost of living in this country.
Instead, Republicans have consistently focused on rewarding their billionaire donors with massive tax breaks and then engaging out of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue the largest pay-to-play scheme in the history of the country.
The clip you just played where he's talking about we have the best numbers.
With the best numbers, best numbers.
If the numbers are so great, Republicans wouldn't be resigning early to lead the incumbents that are in the Congress.
Trump is proven that he will lie even when the truth will do.
And he's taking his time to focus on things that are so petty, it's so inconsequential that he's really not helping people.
He's not concerned about affordability.
He's not concerned about health care.
He's not concerned about manufacturing jobs because those have gone down since he's been in office.
Even though Biden was able to pass the CHIPS Act and the American Rescue Plan and the infrastructure bill, and there was an immigration bill on the table, Trump has brought no type of solutions to any of this.