Analysis: Trump fumes as top allies back down on his personal battles
A president used to bending US politics to his will faces two stinging losses in a matter of days, writes the BBC's Anthony Zurcher.
Donald Trump has faced a string of setbacks in recent days, complicating his personal and political battles. One of these issues involves a failed attempt to renovate a Washington landmark, which led to a flawed decision by US Attorney Jeanine Pirro to drop felony destruction of property charges against former Olympian David Hearn.
Pirro attributed her decision to misleading information provided by the Department of Interior, despite lacking strong evidence to support her claim. Trump defended the initial explanation, criticizing Pirro for "folding like an umbrella." On Capitol Hill, Trump's pick to head the justice department, Todd Blanche, faced opposition from two Republican senators, John Cornyn and Thom Tillis.
The senators demanded Blanche provide a letter disavowing a proposed $1.8 billion fund to compensate individuals who claimed to have been targets of politicized government prosecution, a plan Blanche later withdrew. Despite the political pressure, Trump insisted that Blanche remain as acting attorney general and push for the legislation to pass.
The war in Iran has also become a significant issue for Trump, with the president repeatedly accusing Iran of deceit in ongoing negotiations and threats of military action. However, polls show that a majority of Americans disapprove of the conflict and question Trump's ability to achieve his war goals. Recent public-opinion surveys indicate that Trump's approval ratings have plummeted to 33%, the lowest of any second-term president in modern American history, even below Richard Nixon's ratings during his infamous resignation.
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