Trump's SOTU Strategy, the Iowa Caucus, and More

February 5, 2020

Instead of focusing on partisan attacks and Democrats' efforts to impeach him, President Trump used his third State of the Union address to highlight his administration's accomplishments and extend an olive branch to prospective voters. William Galston says this strategy represents Trump's best chance to broaden his appeal and win reelection.

The Iowa Democratic Caucus caused a media frenzy due to a failure to report the results of the vote in a timely manner. Elaine Kamarck writes that though the new rules for the caucus were meant to protect the integrity of the process, the future of Iowa's role as the first election contest may be uncertain.

By giving China leverage over the United States and undermining market forces, the purchase commitments in the U.S.-China trade deal set a bad precedent for future trade deals, argue Joshua Meltzer and Neena Shenai.

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