As New Hampshire supporters of President Trump celebrate his first year in office, they pay little heed to controversies that have contributed to a historically low approval rating.
Asked about it, Lou Gargiulo responds by pointing to a stock market rally that led to a historic Dow high this week.
Gargiulo, a Rockingham County chairman for Trump in 2016, says he still revels in Trump's ability to beat the odds -- and confound his critics.
"As I recall, the polling that took place prior to the election showed that he was going to lose by double digits and that didn't happen," he says. "So if the approval ratings are correct or not, it's anyone's guess. So I don't put much stake in the approval ratings."
The President's knack for sowing controversy, from wild Twitter posts to false claims of widespread voter fraud, flows into his second year in the White House. So, too, will FBI Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russian meddlingin the 2016 election.
The single greatest Witch Hunt in American history continues. There was no collusion, everybody including the Dems knows there was no collusion, & yet on and on it goes. Russia & the world is laughing at the stupidity they are witnessing. Republicans should finally take control!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 10, 2018
Trump supporters, like New Hampshire's Steve Stepanek, claim the Russian investigation is a bogus attempt to smear Trump and delegitimize the election. U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., was calling for this investigation months before election day. She says America, given the seriousness of foreign influence in a U.S. election, deserves to see Mueller conclude the probe.
Discrediting & deflecting the ongoing investigations into Russian meddling by Congressional Republicans & the President are an affront to our democratic institutions, particularly the partisan assaults lobbed at Special Counsel Mueller & FBI.
— Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (@SenatorShaheen) January 11, 2018
Stepanek, who served as New Hampshire campaign co-chair for Trump, says Trump's made significant accomplishments that would not be "overshadowed by left-leaning media and their surrogates."
He and Gargiulo say that the tax cuts and a reduction in Obama-era government regulations are two highlights of Trump's first year. The one-year milestone could see a federal government "shutdown;" Trump and congressional leaders were negotiating a short-term funding compromise Friday night
The New Hampshire Republican Party hosts a celebration and fundraiser Friday night at Murphy's Taproom in Bedford. Tickets range from $28 to a VIP ticket price of $100, which includes a private reception with Jonathan Williams, chief economist at the conservative American Legislative Exchange Council.
Both the Republican and Democratic parties in New Hampshire are using this anniversary weekend to try to mobilize their grassroots supporters.
Elsewhere in New Hampshire, "After a Divisive year, Women's Marches Return to the Streets."
And so the one-year anniversary of the Trump White House has a familiar feel to it. It's parties, protests, and a few pussyhats -- although organizers of rallies are not promoting those pink hats this weekend.