Our weekly White House report card finds President Trump in a good spot, thanks to his symbolic trip to serve Thanksgiving dinner to troops in Afghanistan, a strong stock market, signs of a final agreement on a North American trade pact, and consistent polling.

Democratic pollster John Zogby gave the president extra credit for traveling to see the troops in Afghanistan for the first time in grading the week with a C-.

Conservative analyst Jed Babbin added that he hopes the visit becomes a habit.

John Zogby
Grade C-

President Trump ended the week nicely by secretly flying to Afghanistan to visit and help serve dinner to the troops.

He also took the opportunity to announce that his administration was talking peace with the Taliban. This comes as a growing number of military brass are expressing frustration and little confidence in Trump's national security and military policies.

At the same time, his polling numbers are down a little bit, and the House Judiciary Committee is preparing its case for impeachment. Black Friday sales were weak, and consumer confidence has taken a hit.

But I give him credit for the surprise trip and for the out-of-the-box announcement in Afghanistan.

Jed Babbin
Grade A

President Trump had a really good week in the polls, in Afghanistan and in signing a bill supporting pro-freedom demonstrators in Hong Kong.

It’s far too early to take any 2020 polls seriously, but this week’s New York Times poll made news because it shocked the Democrats. The poll found that many “Trumpocrats” — Rust Belt Democrats who supported Trump in 2016 and went back to voting Democratic in 2018 — are planning to vote for Trump again in 2020. That indicates both that the House impeachment proceedings, and the huge (dis)array of Democrat candidates, aren’t lighting fires under hitherto faithful supporters.

Trump made his first trip to visit the troops in Afghanistan. The trip, designed so that he could help serve turkey to the troops on Thanksgiving, was long overdue. Trump had made a trip to visit troops in Iraq. The Afghanistan trip should become a habit for him.

Trump signed the “Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act,” signaling overdue support of the Hong Kong freedom demonstrators. Trump had hesitated over concerns that any signal from him supporting the demonstrators would negatively affect the ongoing trade negotiations with China. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has begun referring to Chinese President Xi Jinping as “Chinese leader Xi … ” in a minor but noticeable message that Trump doesn’t regard Xi as a legitimate leader.

John Zogby is the founder of the Zogby Poll and senior partner at John Zogby Strategies. His latest book is We Are Many, We Are One: Neo-Tribes and Tribal Analytics in 21st Century America. Follow him on Twitter @TheJohnZogby.

Jed Babbin is an Examiner contributor and former deputy undersecretary of defense in the administration of President George H.W. Bush. Follow him on Twitter @jedbabbin.