Trump obsessively keeping track of polls despite calling some fake
US President Donald Trump obsessively keeps track of polls, a feature reminiscent of his proclivity for ratings when he was still a TV host; therefore, his aides just show him the good ones, a report says.
At the White House, the president is merely exposed to polls that make him “feel good,” Politico reported Saturday, citing aides and advisers.
The polls usually focus on Trump’s supporters but depending on the numbers, public polls like Rasmussen are also shown to him.
“The polls are about the base,” one adviser said. “He cares about the base.”
Upon returning from his 12-day Asia tour, Trump bragged about his Rasmussen rating on Twitter, calling it “one of the most accurate” in 2016, while censuring “fake news”
The 46 percent Rasmussen figure dropped to 42 percent on Friday.
“You know, I thought that he’d be a little less in campaign mode than he’s been. I think he’s never really kind of gotten out of campaign mode and I thought he might,” said New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, a Trump adviser. “I guess it’s his judgment that that’s what he has to do but that’s surprised me a little bit.”
The polls are also misused to pressure other Republicans.
“The White House routinely briefs members of Congress on the strong support that the president and his legislative agenda in their districts, particularly tax cuts for middle-income Americans,” said White House spokesman Raj Shah.
Since the 2016 campaign, Trump has repeatedly used the term "fake news" largely for any coverage criticizing him or his allies.
Meanwhile, he is often told by his son-in-law and adviser Jared Kushner not to trust traditional data, while his former chief White House strategist Steve Bannon made him focus only on his base.
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