For a man who seems to value winning above all else, these are the worst of times for President Donald Trump.

He is enduring new setbacks, and aides and friends describe him as fuming and frustrated.

His latest and biggest problem is the indictment of Paul Manafort, the former 2016 Trump campaign chairman, and Rick Gates, a Manafort business associate, for a variety of offenses including making false statements and conspiracy to lauder money, and a guilty plea by former campaign foreign policy adviser George Papadopoulos. Papadopoulos admitted lying to FBI agents about his contacts with Russian operatives. Manafort and Gates pleaded not guilty.

Trump and his senior advisers pointed out that the president wasn't personally implicated in any of this. And he continues to say that allegations of collusion between his campaign and Russia to defeat Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton are groundless.

Trump wrote on Twitter, "Sorry, but this is years ago, before Paul Manafort was part of the Trump campaign. But why aren't Crooked Hillary & the Dems the focus?????....Also, there is NO COLLUSION!"

However, the guilty plea of Papadopoulos and his apparent cooperation with the investigators is worrisome for Trump and other aides because Papadopoulos could provide evidence against them.

The conviction and indictments, obtained from a grand jury by special counsel Robert Mueller are at the top of Trump's list of problems, crowding out coverage of what he considers positive developments such as a Republican plan to cut taxes, which is to be announced this week. Trump also is expected to name a new chairman of the Federal Reserve and is scheduled to begin a 12-day trip to Asia on Friday. Trump allies are concerned that the media will give these stories less coverage than the investigation, adding to perceptions that the White House is in trouble.

The tax measure is running into resistance from several quarters, including home builders. And Trump is still angry that his plan to repeal and replace the health-care law enacted under his predecessor Barack Obama has failed to win approval from Congress. Trump also is quarrelling with some fellow Republicans including Sens. Bob Corker of Tennessee and John McCain of Arizona.

Mueller's investigation seems to be having an overall tarnishing effect. The latest Gallup tracking poll shows that Trump has the worst job approval rating of his presidency and the worst in the history of polling at the nine-month mark of any presidency. Only 33 percent of voters approve of the job he is doing, and 62 percent disapprove.