Mayor Briley Announces Nashville’s Selection For Competitive City Accelerator Initiative

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Mayor Briley Announces Nashville’s Selection For Competitive City Accelerator Initiative

NASHVILLE (June 5, 2019) – Mayor David Briley today announced that Nashville has been selected to be part of the latest expansion of the Citi Foundation and Living Cities’ City Accelerator Initiative on Inclusive Procurement<https://www.livingcities.org/work/city-accelerator>.

Nashville will receive $50,000 in grant funding in addition to a combination of coaching, technical assistance and implementation resources in the coming year. The other cities in the finalist cohort include: Boston, Cleveland, El Paso, Houston, Kansas City, Minneapolis, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and South Bend.

“As we seek to become the most equitable city in America, all Nashvillians must have an opportunity to participate in our shared prosperity,” said Mayor Briley. “Our ultimate goal is to eliminate the racial disparities in employment, income, credit, and wealth creation through supporting the growth and development of minority and women-owned businesses. Joining the City Accelerator initiative will greatly help us make that a reality in Nashville.”

“I’m excited about the opportunity that inclusion in this cohort represents as we work to become a best-in-class procurement organization,” added Michelle Hernandez-Lane, chief procurement officer for the Metro Department of Finance.

The 10 cities will work together over the next year to pursue a range of projects to find innovative, effective, locally-tailored strategies to leverage public purchasing power to develop firms owned by people of color. Local initiatives range from implementing aggressive outreach strategies, developing procurement portals and creating an ecosystem of support services for firms owned by people of color to increase their opportunities to gain city contracts.

“There is a large opportunity and historical lessons in how equitable procurement can increase the income and wealth of people of color,” said Brandee McHale, President of the Citi Foundation. “Nashville is invested in finding solutions that will help their local business community and in providing learning models for other U.S. cities to adopt.”

Now in its sixth cohort – its largest to date – the City Accelerator has brought together 22 municipalities to test new approaches that improve the lives of residents, especially people of color.

Examples of this include:

*   Baltimore creating an online portal for residents returning from the criminal justice system to access services and job opportunities, which is now part of the Baltimore City Health Department’s TECHealth initiative.
*   Memphis purchasing 20 percent from diverse businesses (MWBEs) in the first two fiscal years of their mayor’s term.
*   Rochester developing cultural congruence across its entrepreneurial ecosystem through racial equity and inclusion trainings for service providers who work with local businesses.
*   Through performance-based contracting, Washington, D.C.’s Office of Public-Private Partnerships developing a pipeline of projects that will deliver better infrastructure where residents need it most while creating safeguards that protect the interests of people of color and low-income residents who have often been disadvantaged when projects go wrong.

Cities may consider local policy reform, supplier diversity engagement, improved contract compliance practices, utilization of tax incentives and economic development tools.

“Inclusive procurement is a strong element in closing racial income and wealth gaps,” said Living Cities President and CEO Ben Hecht. “When cities leverage their buying power to support the very residents that have been kept out of wealth-building activities, they are contributing to the betterment of the entire community.”

Technical assistance for the effort will be provided by Griffin & Strong, a public policy consulting firm specializing in disparity research and supplier diversity for government entities and private corporations.

About Citi
Citi, the leading global bank, has approximately 200 million customer accounts and does business in more than 160 countries and jurisdictions. Citi provides consumers, corporations, governments and institutions with a broad range of financial products and services, including consumer banking and credit, corporate and investment banking, securities brokerage, transaction services, and wealth management.

About the Citi Foundation
The Citi Foundation works to promote economic progress and improve the lives of people in low-income communities around the world. We invest in efforts that increase financial inclusion, catalyze job opportunities for youth, and reimagine approaches to building economically vibrant cities. The Citi Foundation’s “More than Philanthropy” approach leverages the enormous expertise of Citi and its people to fulfill our mission and drive thought leadership and innovation. For more information, visit www.citifoundation.com<http://www.citifoundation.com>.

About Living Cities
Living Cities harnesses the collective power of 18 of the world’s largest foundations and financial institutions to develop and scale new approaches for creating opportunities for low-income people and improving the cities where they live. Its investments, research, networks, and convenings catalyze fresh thinking and combine support for innovative, local approaches with real-time sharing of learning to accelerate adoption in more places. Additional information can be found at www.livingcities.org<http://www.livingcities.org>.

A version of this release may be found online at: https://www.nashville.gov/News-Media/News-Article/ID/8620/Mayor-Briley-Announces-Nashvilles-Selection-For-Competitive-City-Accelerator-Initiative.aspx

Experts at forum seek to remove stigma associated with mental illness

Lee Johnson
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Experts at forum seek to remove stigma associated with mental illness

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Experts at a recent forum on mental health stressed the importance of doing away with the stigma associated with mental illness, especially in the church. 

Dr. Sherry Blake, a nationally recognized clinical psychologist, led a panel of mental health professionals at Faith United Missionary Baptist Church on Friday. The free forum was open to the community, and the church was packed. 

Mental illness continues to be a national issue. But in some black communities, the topic is taboo. At the forum, experts discussed how to remove the stigma, find problems, and aid congregants and the community in getting care to manage their mental health. 

“Your mental health is just as important as your physical health,” said Blake, who is also a relationship expert that has been on reality TV shows like Braxton Family Values and The Real Housewives of Atlanta. “You cannot have good physical health and have poor mental health, or have poor mental health and great physical health. You have to work on both. They go hand in hand.”

However, Dr. Thurman Webb, Jr., assistant professor of psychology at Tennessee State University and one of the panelists, said some people, particularly in the church, do not seek help for their mental illness because they are afraid of being stigmatized.

“You get phrases like, ‘he’s touched in the head,’ or ‘a little bit off,’” said Webb. Then, as another expert pointed out, there’s the assumption that the person has a “demonic spirit,” and prayer is the best remedy.

“We have to start … looking at how we respond to people,” Blake said. “Sometimes things happen in life, parents die, love ones die, and we grieve. But it doesn’t mean that we will go into clinical depression. We have good days and we have bad days.”

There are individuals, however, that may need clinical help, and prayer is not enough, said Dr. Roosevelt Walker, Sr., senior pastor at Faith United Missionary Baptist.

He said pastors and religious leaders should not hesitate to seek professional psychological help for individuals they believe need it. 

“We don’t have all the answers,” Walker said. “Sometimes there are other avenues we need to tap into.”

According to a survey taken at the forum, 50 percent wrote “yes” when asked if the church they attend can help them with a mental health problem, and the other half responded “no” to the question.

“The church is the beginning step in a lot of black communities, but it’s not the end step,” Webb said.

George Crutcher drove from Mt. Juliet, Tennessee, to attend the forum. He said such events are needed, particularly for young people who might struggle with mental illness.

“Too many of our young men and women end up in the downtown jail, instead of being treated for what it is,” he said.

To learn more about mental illness and how to get help, visit https://www.nami.org/Learn-More/Mental-Health-Conditions.

OPINION: A State Takeover of MNPS Will Hurt Local Students

The Nashville Voice
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OPINION: A State Takeover of MNPS Will Hurt Local Students

Since the City of Nashville opened the doors to its first public school in 1855, the Metro Nashville Public School (MNPS) district has pioneered access to quality education for all children in Davidson County’s increasingly diverse community. Today, members of MNPS’s exhausted community expect a state-takeover of the school district. If the State of Tennessee does in fact take control of Davidson County’s schools, then Nashville’s youngest citizens would also become the most tragic victims of this transfer of power. A state take over would mean the end of Nashville’s prideful, locally governed educational community. Former school board member Will Pinkston believes that what used to be a “bipartisan and collaborative approach to education reform,” at the state level, has been wrecked by hyper-partisanship and “reckless disregard,” for public education.

A 2013 report by The Atlantic warns of the many consequences associated with a state-takeover of previously locally controlled schools across the country. In doing so, the article inadvertently warns Nashvillians of the egregious repercussions our community could face if the State of Tennessee assumes control of our local schools. According to the report, such an action could result in an over reliance on test scores, and allow people with no experience in education to gain leadership roles in administration. The author calls the track record of these rare takeovers “shaky,” and forecasts an all-around dismal outlook for areas undergoing this transition.

Even local studies of schools in the community confirm that state-takeovers typically yield disappointing results. As of 2018, every one of the schools taken over by the State of Tennessee “continue to struggle.” The empty promises made by the state about the schools’ projected improvement were later essentially retracted when the district’s founder admitted they were “too lofty.”

A state takeover of our local schools is clearly not what’s best for the 80,000 students of MNPS. According to Will Pinkston, the State of Tennessee itself has been an active contributor to some of the district’s major problems by imposing hostile laws with “destabilizing financial effects,” onto school systems’ budgets. Pinkston stated that under Governors Haslam and Lee, the state “has been determined to destroy our majority-minority school systems in Memphis and Nashville.” Ironically, that same state that self-identifies as the savior of MNPS has actively pursued legislation that would worsen Davidson County’s already-present school funding problems.

In the face of opposition from pro-teacher groups and the district’s interim superintendent Adrienne Battle, Governor Bill Lee signed his school voucher bill– which results in reduced funding for Davidson County schools–into law last week. Pinkston calls vouchers and charter schools “kissing cousins,” that divert an already limited supply of taxpayer resources away from public schools and into private schools. Governor Lee will funnel 125 million valuable taxpayer dollars away from public schools and into private schools over the next five years to support the state’s voucher program, and double funding for Tennessee’s charter schools this year.

Current school board member Christine Buggs also weighed in on the state’s troublesome relationship with MNPS. Buggs pointed out that MNPS and Shelby County schools will be the “only two districts affected by the voucher bill,” and calls the Governor’s decision to “eagerly” shift money away from public schools, “disheartening.” Buggs also made it clear that local school districts are not backing down and yielding to the state’s incompetence without a fight: “Shelby County schools and MNPS are in a joint lawsuit against the state to increase public education funding,” said Buggs.

If Tennessee takes over Nashville’s schools, MNPS’s funding and academic problems will be exacerbated and not rectified. National and local case studies alike prove how state-takeovers lead to continued struggle and yield increased focus on administrative roles and bureaucracy than on student achievement in-classroom progress. Although the road to remedying challenges facing MNPS is long, saving Nashville’s students begins with maintaining local control of our schools.

Las Vegas hotel apologizes to rapper Meek Mill after he accused them of racism

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Las Vegas hotel apologizes to rapper Meek Mill after he accused them of racism

By Christina Maxouris, CNN

(CNN) — The Cosmopolitan hotel in Las Vegas has issued an apology to rapper Meek Mill after he accused them of being “racist as hell.”

Last week, the artist posted videos of an interaction with hotel staff in which he was apparently told he would be arrested for trespassing if he entered the hotel.

In a series of tweets alongside the clips, Meek Mill said he needed “lawyers ASAP” and accused the hotel of being “racist as hell,” adding, “If you come from our culture you should never step foot in the cosmopolitan hotel.”

On Friday, the hotel issued an apology for the May 25 incident, saying they did “not act in a respectful manner and were wrong.”

“Meek Mill has not had any prior incidents on our property,” the statement posted on the hotel’s Twitter page said. “The Cosmopolitan has zero tolerance for discrimination and we pride ourselves on providing an inclusive environment. We look forward to welcoming Meek Mill back to the resort.

Earlier this week, the hotel defended its actions by saying the issue was a “matter of security, not race,” and that staff was not allowing Meek Mill entrance due to capacity concerns of a club at the premises. It was unclear whether Meek Mill was trying to enter the club.

Meek Mill’s attorney called the capacity claims “outright false.”

“In the recorded video, Meek also inquired about getting a meal at one of the hotel’s restaurants, yet their security team continued to deny Meek and said he would be arrested for trespassing regardless of location in the hotel premises. The Cosmopolitan’s conduct continues to be deplorable,” Joe Tacopina said in a statement at the time.

Didier Morais, the rapper’s publicist, sent an updated statement from Tacopina which read: “We appreciate the Cosmopolitan’s apology and will no longer pursue legal recourse at this time.”

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NASA picks three companies to send cargo to the moon

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NASA picks three companies to send cargo to the moon

By Jackie Wattles, CNN Business

(CNN) — Three small companies that built robotic lunar landers are getting big business from NASA.

Texas-based Intuitive Machines, Astrobotic of Pittsburgh, and a group called OrbitBeyond were each selected by NASA to deliver science and research cargo to the moon. The companies could complete their first missions within the next couple of years, executives and NASA officials said Friday.

The cargo will include devices that will help map and navigate the lunar surface, measure radiation levels, conduct scientific investigations, and assess how human activity impacts the moon, NASA said in a press release.

The partnerships are part of the US space agency’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services, or CLPS program, which was announced last year and includes up to $2.6 billion worth of contracts.

For this first batch of awards, Astrobotic will get $79.5 million, Intuitive was awarded $77 million, and Orbit Beyond will receive $97 million. Astrobotic and Intuitive plan to launch their first missions in 2021, while Orbit Beyond expects to land on the moon by September 2020.

“Today, NASA becomes a customer of commercial partners who will deliver our science instruments and our lunar technology to the moon,” NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine said in a video about the announcement. “The landers and instruments they deliver — and the science, technology and research that will be done in the immediate future — will prepare the way for humanity’s return to the moon by 2024,” he said.

NASA has been publicly pushing its plan to return astronauts to the moon within five years. The program is called Artemis, and it would mark the first crewed deep-space mission in nearly half a century. The program, however, faces political hurdles, and it’s not clear where the money will come from.

The space agency wants commercial companies to play a big role in reaching its lunar goals. NASA is separately looking to the private sector for a lunar lander capable of ferrying humans to and from the lunar surface. Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Elon Musk’s SpaceX, and Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin are among the companies vying for those contracts.

For the CLPS program, however, NASA is focused only on lunar landers that can haul cargo — not people.

Because the landers were privately developed, Astrobotic, Intuitive and OrbitBeyond will still own their technology and be able to sell their services to other commercial companies. NASA will just be another customer.

Right now, there aren’t a lot of business opportunities on the moon, said Laura Forczyk, a consultant and founder of research firm Astralytical. So NASA contracts are a key lifeline startups hoping to get into this line of work.

But that could change.

NASA and others want to create a lunar outpost that would require large amounts of infrastructure and the technology to do things like convert the moon’s water ice into rocket fuel. There’s also valuable resources on the moon that could be mined for a variety of uses. Ultimately, it could become a hub of commercial and government activity.

“NASA’s vision for human habitation on the moon will drive the cislunar economy to grow exponentially,” OrbitBeyond partner TeamIndus wrote in a recent blog post. “OrbitBeyond estimates it to exceed a $3 billion annual market in 5-7 years.”

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People are blaming Anthony Joshua’s heavyweight boxing upset on the Drake curse

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People are blaming Anthony Joshua’s heavyweight boxing upset on the Drake curse

By Harmeet Kaur, CNN

(CNN) — It looks like the Drake curse has struck again.

British boxer Anthony Joshua seemingly went into Saturday’s heavyweight title fight with supreme confidence.

He was so confident, in fact, that he thought he could be the one to break the famed Drake curse, which has supposedly plagued sports teams and athletes that Drake has expressed support for over the years. (It should also be noted that the Toronto rapper has a reputation for being a notorious bandwagon fan.)

Joshua posted a picture with the rapper on March 21, with the caption “Bout to break the curse #June1st.”

But alas, Joshua’s heavyweight boxing skills seemed to be no match for the Drake curse, and he succumbed to Andy Ruiz Jr. in a stunning upset — the first loss of his career.

Believers of the curse were quick to blame Drake. Sure, you could chalk Joshua’s loss up to the fact that Ruiz simply fought better, but sports fans are a superstitious bunch.

The jury’s still out on whether the curse actually holds up, but in light of Saturday’s upset, here’s a look at some other teams and athletes whose losses have been blamed on Drake.

The Kentucky Wildcats

Drake is a big fan of the University of Kentucky Wildcats and has a close friendship with coach John Calipari, though no one is really sure why.

In an oft-memed moment, Drake cozied up to then-Wildcat DeMarcus Cousins in 2010.

After the team won a championship in 2012, they sent him a custom championship ring, with the engraving “Drizzy.” But as Drake’s enthusiasm for the Wildcats seemed to increase, the team seemed to go on the decline and the Wildcats haven’t won a NCAA championship since 2012.

Coincidence?

Serena Williams

Drake first started publicly supporting Serena Williams in 2011. But things started to ramp up in 2015, when he was spotted at some of her important matches.

Williams started that year on a hot streak, entering the season as the number one ranked player. She was on a Grand Slam winning spree, notching wins at the Australian Open, French Open and Wimbledon.

But at the US Open, Williams lost in the semifinals in a stunning upset to unranked Roberta Vinci from Italy. Drake was in attendance, and some fans pointed to Drake as the reason for her loss.

But to be fair, the rapper was also in the stands at Wimbledon that year — which she won.

Conor McGregor

Drake was right by Conor McGregor’s side at his weigh-in in the days leading up to UFC 229. He was even photographed holding up an Irish flag as McGregor posed in a fighting stance.

Days later, McGregor took one of the worst beatings of his career against Khabib Nurmagomedov.

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Nashville Business Alliance welcomes the city’s new Director of Economic & Community Development

The Nashville Voice
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Nashville Business Alliance welcomes the city’s new Director of Economic & Community Development

The Nashville Business Alliance (NBA) advocates for minority and women-owned businesses. The NBA PAC is an independent, business-owner led organization that uses the power of year-round political engagement and elections to change the economic outcomes for minority and women-owned businesses.

On Wednesday, May 29, the Nashville Business Alliance welcomed Nashville’s new Economic and Community Development Director, Jamari Brown.

The Mayor’s Office of Economic and Community Development is committed to supporting businesses of all sizes and types, from start up’s to relocation of global businesses. They work closely with the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce, the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development, the Tennessee Valley Authority, and other partners to make Nashville a compelling place to work and live.

Brown is a Nashville native and a graduate of Pearl Cohn High School. He comes to the Mayor’s Office from the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development, where he served as the director of business development. He brings 10 years of experience working in economic and community development across our state. He has led 70 teams that have announced more than 13,000 jobs and investments of $2 billion in Tennessee and worked with a diverse list of clients that include AllianceBernstein, Google, Hankook Tire, The ICEE Company, Lyft, Philips, UBS, Warner Music Group and others.

Mayor Briley is confident that Jamari Brown “will continue to help our city grow while always looking through an equity lens to ensure all residents benefit from that growth.”

Jamari and his team are not only focused on recruiting companies looking for growth and opportunity but also cultivating local businesses, community development and neighborhood development.

“With the growth Nashville’s had, we’ve really been reactionary. And that happens when you have crazy, uncharted growth – you’re really just trying to keep pace and manage it,” Jamari Brown says to the Nashville Business Journal. “We’re at a point now where we can be strategic.”

New Midtown Nashville Healthcare Center provides quality and convenient care

Nadira Freeman
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New Midtown Nashville Healthcare Center provides quality and convenient care

The Nashville Healthcare Center will open its third location at 1919 Charlotte Ave, Suite 101, on June 10, 2019, under the care of Monica Davis, MD. The Nashville Healthcare Center-Midtown will provide quality and convenient, Primary Care to Midtown, City Heights, North Gulch, Sylvan Heights and the Nations. Hours of operation will be Monday through Friday from 8:00 am – 4:30 pm.

Dr. Monica Davis is a primary care physician who has been affiliated with multiple hospitals in the area, including TriStar Southern Hills Medical Center and Williamson Medical Center. Dr. Davis is Board Certified in Family Medicine. She received her medical degree from Meharry Medical College in 1995 and has been in practice for more than 20 years.

The Nashville Healthcare Center – Midtown will provide both routine, same-day and urgent appointments for primary care, preventive services and chronic disease management, as well as annual wellness visits.

Patient-centered care is delivered within a primary care continuity provider model that optimizes use of health care resources. Minor procedures are performed in the clinic setting when appropriate, and referrals are made when a patient’s needs exceed the scope of the Nashville Healthcare Center. The care team collaborates with medical and surgical consultative services in co-management of complex patients.

Specialty Clinics are also part of the Nashville Healthcare Center Midtown practice. Patients can be referred from a primary or specialty physician for consultative, diagnostic and interventional services.

The Cardiology Clinic includes an integrated outreach and primary prevention program, comprehensive diagnostic services, and cardiac interventional services.

The Surgical Clinic includes a comprehensive system in treating surgical patients according to evidence-based protocols.

The Orthopedic Clinic provides consultative, diagnostic, and therapeutic services who experience bone, muscle and nerve pathology.

The Urology Clinic provides diagnostic and therapeutic management to male and female patients. Care is given to in-patients and out-patients with genito-urinary and adrenal conditions, acute and chronic.

Nashville Healthcare Center Women’s Health provides patient-centered healthcare through routine, urgent and same day appointments. Services include family planning and routine and urgent gynecological services.

The care team at Nashville Healthcare Center – Midtown invites the community to visit their new location at 1919 Charlotte on Monday, June 17, during their Open House from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM.

For more information about the Nashville Healthcare Centers, go to www.nashvillehealthcarecenter.com or call  615-341-4419.

China accuses US of ‘economic terrorism’ as trade war tensions escalate

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China accuses US of ‘economic terrorism’ as trade war tensions escalate


By Ben Westcott, Serenitie Wang and Rob Picheta, CNN

(CNN) — China accused the Trump administration of committing “economic terrorism” on Thursday, escalating its war of words with the United States amid rising trade tensions between the two countries.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the White House had “brought huge damage to the economy of other countries and the US itself,” spokesperson Lu Kang told reporters in Beijing on Thursday.

Lu described US trade policy as “typical economic terrorism, economic hegemonism, and economic unilateralism.”

The statement followed similarly ominous rhetoric from Chinese state media, which issued a stern message to Washington on Wednesday: “Don’t say we didn’t warn you.”

The People’s Daily, the newspaper of the ruling Communist Party, used the loaded phrase in a commentary on Wednesday, in which it said that China would “never accept” the US’ suppression of Chinese development.

The warning came as China’s top economic planning agency suggested it would be willing curb exports of rare earth minerals, which are crucial for high-tech manufacturing.

On May 15, the Trump administration signed an order that potentially banned major Chinese companies, such as technology giant Huawei, from buying vital components such as computer chips from the US.

Many of those chips are made using rare earths, of which China is a major exporter.

“At present, the United States completely overestimates its ability to control the global supply chain and is due to slap itself in the face when it sobers up from its happy, ignorant self-indulgence,” said the commentary published under the pseudonym Wuyuehe. “Don’t say we didn’t warn you.”

The phrase has, in the past, been reserved by the Chinese state media for times of serious conflict.

The People’s Daily used it in 1962 before going into armed conflict against India and again in 1978 before the Vietnam invasion. More recently, though it has appeared in several People’s Daily commentaries on issues ranging from Taiwan to the trade war.

War of words

On May 10, the US raised tariffs on $200 billion of Chinese imports from 10% to 25%, after talks between the two countries broke down less than a week earlier.

Negotiations have now stalled, with each side blaming the other for the recent setbacks. Speaking in Japan on Monday, US President Donald Trump said he was “not ready” to make a deal.

The US imports far more from China than China does from the US — one of the reasons for the trade war. As China runs out of US imports to tariff, it has turned to its rare earth exports as a new potential battleground.

China accounted for 80% of all rare earth imports by the US between 2014 and 2017, according to the United States Geological Survey, and are were among the few items not hit by US tariffs.

In statements posted on its website Wednesday, a representative of China’s powerful National Development and Reform Commission again hinted at the possibility of action on rare earths.

“What I can tell you is that if anyone wants to use products made of China’s rare earth exports to contain China’s development, the people of Ganzhou and across China will not be happy with that,” the official said, referring to a city in Jiangxi province.

On May 20, Chinese President Xi Jinping visited a rare earth factory in Jiangxi province, an unusual personal touch which many analysts and state media saw as a clear message to Washington.

“Will the rare earth become a counter-control weapon against China’s unwarranted suppression (by the US)? The answer is not mysterious,” the People’s Daily commentary said. “In fact, consumer electronics, military equipment and many other products produced in the US are highly dependent on China’s rare earth resources

An editorial in state media tabloid Global Times Wednesday was headlined: “US will rue forcing China’s hand on rare earths.”

But while rare earths could prove a potential pain point for Washington, they may not be the advantage some in China think.

Eugene Gholz, who has advised the US government on rare earths, wrote in a report for the Council on Foreign Relations that China’s leverage over the rare earths market peaked in 2010 and even then it had been difficult to exploit in Beijing’s favor.

Furthermore, the US also maintains stockpiles of many key rare earth materials, not least those used in the defense industry.

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Americans have turned against Trump on trade

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Americans have turned against Trump on trade

Analysis by Harry Enten, CNN

(CNN) — President Donald Trump’s trade wars may be something he believes in, but it doesn’t seem to be a political winner. Unlike many issues on which Trump has seesawed on over the years, Trump has been generally consistent in his protectionist stance on trade. He seemed to use that to his advantage in the 2016 election, during which he went after Democrat Hillary Clinton, who tended to have more of a free trade record.

Polling during his presidency suggests, however, that most Americans don’t really care about trade policy and have turned against Trump’s argument for a protectionist trade policy.

Trump, of course, is hoping to get his job approval rating up. It’s generally been stuck in the high 30s to low 40s. The problem for Trump is that Americans typically regard trade as one of the least important issues. Just 31% of Americans told Gallup late last year that it was an extremely important issue for the President and Congress to take up in 2019. That was tied for the lowest of any issue. The Pew Research Center found that only 39% said global trade was a top policy for them in 2019. That was the lowest of any issue polled. A miniscule 1% said trade was their most important issue for 2020 in a CNN open-ended question taken in March.

Not surprisingly, Trump’s trade wars have not moved his numbers at all. Trump started initiating tariffs of all sorts during the first half of 2018. This notably included a tariff on aluminum and steel, which was just lifted from Canada and Mexico. Before he ordered tariffs on aluminum and steel on most countries in March 2018, his approval rating in the FiveThirtyEight aggregate among voters was 43%. Six months later, it was 42% — where Trump’s approval rating also stands today.

But while Trump’s trade wars haven’t really moved his overall numbers, they do seem to have shifted views about him on trade and the larger conversation about trade policy in the United States.

After the 2016 election, Americans had a lot of hope about what Trump could do for trade policy. According to a December 2016 Fox News poll, 62% said Trump would “truly revise trade deals” with other countries to make them better for America. A minority (31%) disagreed. By December 2018, after renegotiating NAFTA, withdrawing from the Trans-Pacific Partnership and adding a number of tariffs, only 40% said Trump had negotiated better trade deals. A plurality (47%) said he had not. In other words, Americans don’t trust like they once did on trade.

Americans are also far less likely to view Trump favorably in Quinnipiac University polling released last week when it comes to how he’s handling relations with China. That may have to do with his recent ramping up of a trade war with China. His net approval (approval – disapproval) on how he deals with China has dropped from +8 points in April 2017 to -10 points now. Notably, this is still a better net approval than Quinnipiac University has generally shown for the President overall. Indeed, Trump’s approval ratings on trade continue to somewhat better than his overall approval rating. Still, his ratings on trade-related issues have turned clearly negative.

Elections, though, are won and lost in the electoral college. Trump won in 2016 thanks to strength in the Midwest, where his protectionist tone seemed to provide him an electoral boost. But now, we see Trump’s ratings on trade are not any better in the Midwest.

In concert with this movement on American opinions of Trump and trade related policy, far more Americans now view free trade as a good thing than a bad thing. A Monmouth University poll taken this month found that 51% of Americans (and 53% of voters) say that free trade agreements are generally a good thing; just 14% say they are generally bad. Pew Research Center polling from 2018 generally showed the same thing with 56% saying free trade agreements with other countries have generally been a good thing, while only 30% say they have generally been a bad thing. (Monmouth has a higher percentage of “not sure” because it specifically offers that option.)

This recent polling is a dramatic turnaround from polling on the same questions taken during the 2016 campaign. Back in November 2015, 24% of Americans told Monmouth that free trade agreements were a good thing. A slightly larger 26% said it was a bad thing. Just before the 2016 election, Pew pegged the breakdown at 45% good thing and 43% bad thing. In other words, both pollsters indicate that positive opinion of free trade has jumped recently and negative opinion has fallen.

For those not convinced that Trump is moving these numbers, let’s take a closer look at the trendlines. Trump only started ramping up the trade wars in 2018. That lines up with Pew’s polling showing that the percentage of Americans thinking free trade was bad dropping a little during 2017 with the majority of movement coming in 2018. Monmouth, which didn’t poll on free trade in 2017, showed that opinion on free trade moved dramatically from 2016 to 2018, but hasn’t moved greatly since then.

The bottom line is this: This isn’t 2016 or even 2017 anymore. Americans don’t believe Trump has the magic touch on trade and have moved against his worldview on trade. His trade policies don’t look like they’re going to pull him to re-election.

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