Philippe Reines, ex-Clinton campaign adviser, still gives Donald Trump advantage in 2020 race

Former Clinton campaign adviser Phiippe Reines said Monday that President Trump’s stagnant approval rating is due to the economy.

“The economy is what’s keeping his numbers up,” Mr. Reines said on Fox News.

“The president has a fundamental problem. Fewer people approve of the job he’s doing than voted for him,” he said.

Mr. Reines said Mr. Trump’s approval rating, which hovers around 40 percent, is due to the growing economy even if more people seem to dislike him. He said that within the Republican Party, Mr. Trump is underperforming, adding that there are many in the party that are open to a challenger.

“He got 46 percent of the vote in 2016 and he’s sub-40 now, and I think the numbers within the Republican Party are scary,” Mr. Reines said.

He did warn Democrats not to be too cocky saying the office of the presidency carries more power and advantage than many suspect, even with a president who doesn’t have the strongest approval rating. When asked about Mr. Trump’s re-election chances, Mr. Reines still said it’s the president’s race to lose.