President Trump had a mixed week, raising some controversy with a series of pardons and commutations and his reaction to new reports of Russian election meddling, but gaining satisfaction in a series of positive polls that suggest many voters are looking past controversies.

In focus all week has been the 2020 election, and Trump traveled the country to give rallies before cheering crowds and talk up some of his achievements — for example, focusing on criminal justice reform. Meanwhile, Democrats bloodied each other in a debate battle ahead of Saturday’s Nevada caucuses that candidate Michael Bloomberg said Trump won.

Democratic pollster John Zogby noted that Trump is at his high in approval polls, and conservative analyst Jed Babbin suggested that the 2020 Democrats are digging their hole deeper.

John Zogby

Grade C+

Lots going on this week. On the negative side for President Trump, Congress heard testimony that there is evidence that Russia is supporting his reelection campaign. His political consigliere Roger Stone was sentenced to 40 months in prison for obstruction of justice, and the president admitted that Stone would probably be exonerated before an expected pardon — further throwing shade at his own Justice Department and welcoming questions about a president who sees himself as either above the law or simply as the law.

On the positive side, the average of the last six polls shows Trump with a 47% approval rating, including another 49% by Gallup alone, 45% showing that they are satisfied with how things are going in the country, and 43% of independents approving of Trump's job performance. And then, there was the “Bloomberg Bungle,” the poor showing by Bloomberg as a presidential candidate in his first Democratic debate.

Jed Babbin

Grade C-

President Trump had a rocky week that saw him pardon or commute sentences of some worthy and unworthy types, a growing conflict with Attorney General William Barr, and the Democrats' revival of the totally bizarre theory that Russia is trying to help him get reelected.

Among the pardons and commutations Trump granted were for former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, junk bond king Michael Millken, and former NYPD Commissioner Bernard Kerik. Blagojevich, who had served eight years of a 14-year sentence for trying to sell former President Barack Obama’s Senate seat, instantly proclaimed himself a “Trump-ocrat.”

.@RichardGrenell is my friend and a tremendous public servant. His appointment by @realDonaldTrump is historic, making him the first openly gay cabinet member in history. His identity is not a qualification anymore than mine is, but it’s quite significant and makes me proud! 🇺🇸🏳️‍🌈 https://t.co/Uq49zTk8D4 — Judd Deere (@JuddPDeere45) February 20, 2020

Barr had said that Trump’s tweeting was making it impossible for him to do his job, but that didn’t stop Trump from attacking the Justice Department and the presiding judge in the Stone case. Trump can’t afford to lose Barr, so why is he ignoring Barr’s admonition? One attack on the DOJ and its lawyers follows another. Whoever is telling Trump to calm things down is being ignored.

The House Intelligence Committee reportedly was briefed by acting Director of National Intelligence Adm. Joe Maguire that Russia was trying to help get Trump reelected, and the committee promptly leaked the idea to the New York Times. Is the intelligence community so credulous as to really believe that? With socialist Bernie Sanders and liberal pushovers such as Mike Bloomberg and Sen. Elizabeth Warren running, it’s impossible to believe that Russian President Vladimir Putin would prefer Trump to any of them. After the leak, Trump quickly replaced Maguire with his ambassador to Germany, Richard Grenell, who is the most faithful Trump loyalist of all. But Grenell will not be in that position long, as the White House is searching for another loyalist to run the intelligence community. Trump’s relationship with the intelligence agencies is very sour and not getting better.

Meanwhile, the Democrats had another primary debate in which Trump won. It’s hard to see how the candidates are going to dig their way out of the hole they’ve dug for themselves. And they keep digging.

John Zogby is the founder of the Zogby Poll and senior partner at John Zogby Strategies. His weekly podcast with son and partner Jeremy Zogby can be heard here. Follow him on Twitter @ZogbyStrategies

Jed Babbin is a Washington Examiner contributor and former deputy undersecretary of defense in the administration of former President George H.W. Bush. Follow him on Twitter @jedbabbin