Transcript for Matthew Dowd on Trump: 'For a reality TV star, he seems awful divorced from reality'

And of course, labor day weekend kicks off final spri election day. So much at stake, and the round is here to Dall. ABC news political analyst Matthew dowd, vice and the sheau chief Na Thompson, Rick Klein, and we have jenr Jacobs. She intewed the prident just this week, and we're going O that in just a minute, but I have to start with you the new poll numbers fm the ABC news/ "Washington post" poll. Presidenump has thlo proval rating heading into his first midterm election of any prhow much will hem over tho elecs? This election is all about Donald Trump, but neither party disputes that. In fac the president boaststhat a coue times a week on the campaign trail, but that is 10 poin Bel where presidents Obama or Clinton were at this point in the election, and 12 gan, and a threof these M suffered vastating losses. I have bn talking to Republican strategists the uple of days and thee making the case that a lot of their candidatan isolate themse from the es ook at that 36% number and a couple of them made the same P to me. Can see why that could get worse between now and election da it's reahard to thk of a scio where it gets ere the pridentsn't an anchor. Andatt, the psident was tweeting about ooll Friday clearly kind oritated by those numbers. Does he recognize the trouble that republic novemb? If he recognizes it, henot talking about it. I think he is fed a lot of informatioat this is distct from reity in this. One of the things T-- L keep in mind that th hit 50% approve in his F T years inoffice. Neve 50% approl. Every otpresident has done that. The underlyi numbers in here are also really troublesome for the president that WYOU look ongly approve versus strongly disapprove only 24% the country stronpprove of this president. The country sgly sapproves from thesi thatasot moved. It has bee country H his whole esidency. What's trouble for him is the number of people that disapproseasingly rising. That measures enthusiasm. People that say I'll run wit trump isaller thanun with Nearlhaf those po support congress Startin impeachmenoceedings against the president, but you may have heard Leon Panetta saying that that's not good idea before the Mueller report comes ou believe drats will proceewith caution? Will continue to proceed wit cautio I think if basically -- Nancy Pelosi doesn't want to talk T this bec she does T ndidates, D if amidterm candidate ne to tlk about impeachm tthing, but she esn't want evebody to have to talk about impeachm now if the house of reprtives slips and becomes Democrats, impehment will be something they will have to cder because a lot of their ismoring for that as your poll of shows, but is also anotherer that you havence you over the house that theocrats O this in the house oversight committee and the financial RVices committee ey are goio. Thave alreadted the if theyaker the house. Said, you sat down so of your cagues withhe president this week. He red if thewin back the a grt Jo is the whioud for this possible political battle? One of that striking things about our in own desired narrative where his power and larity and the economy better than most onomists. He sd he is a more popular president than anyunderstands. He had an answer for everything. Imoceedings gi impoible, he sd. I'm doing a great job. You can't impeach somebody who going a great job. The muler probe,llegal.the trade r,is stronger than any other country.get them U control, D, we're going to , you know, more tar I every -- your staff -- offers are leaving a everybodneeds to fl these . LE problemhat we pose to him heaid - he had an answer to it. He bieves in hbility to change, you know the way the scandal he is facing, henks he hasis thumb on beinable to crush it and he believes that his approach is juified when we interviewed he was saying ould like to sit doith Kim jo-un, and even reacteditch amazement and astonishment, and now he has done that and he th that has wered the threat level and hs North Korea under rol. Not true. Right. But he says he has the greatest pa in the wod. He can wait for Kim Jong-un to ke Othsidents have said thatefore. Veryone said that put theseuge tariffs on and they will crush the economy. That hasn't Happ he thinks his approach is justified. He thinks he can handle an What's funny I that as a reality TV H seems divord from realit one thing on impeachment. I think thcrats have become way too reticent on this issue. If ynk about this s-a-vis Dold trump, support for impeachment higher than sut for dona trtoday.think the DEM should hment is the table, but we'll hold this president accountable. Message ofccountabily -- U think tht th to be a central focus? WHE you lk a among impeachment, it's north 8 support an impeachm Dyou want it to be a central E? A lot of Democrats -- Say, we'rg to hold this esident actable and E tools to that, depending on the Mueller report is impeachment. I would anse questi The fear is of course, end up creating a bash. It ds Republican in 2020, and makes him look like he N embattled person who needs to be risen up by his and I think that's the fear that establishmt democratve about the impeachme. And Rick, I wt O T you. We hbrettavanaughn hill this week for confirmatn hearings. If he is confirmed, what effect will that have will it harden the democ? T motivate Republicans? Who my that? If he is confirmed, it's likely to genfirmed byhe D of the month the idea that whatever happens in seember motis people in novemb, I think we have seen thesws cs work a bit differently, but I Thi next couple of weeks will be interesting. Not so muccause theris a alistic sh of the nomination, but the strategy in Deng, it's a scatter shot strategy. They are trying to find different ways and P votersmaybe for some,t's about R V. Wade,nd there Wil be a big fight in forcing him to himself affectinesidential powend all of ose things together, the ugh nt you can P port trait together that will moti voters onhe senate R, but man there is a lot of time in these nex two months that won't aboutrett Kavanaugh. I wto the immigration. A lot ofhe preside's supporters voted for him because has bealking about the store sad, sad lie Tibbetts O Iowa who was killed allegedly Byan undocumted immigrt and eyabout this justify immigration policies, but etts' father W a op-ed this wnd, a very moving op-ed this weekend criticizg O have chosen to callously D corrupt mollie's death.ere is Gren its mollieoul in advancing views she believed were profoundly racist. T of faults he immigration debate. G sus be I tke Iowa repuicans about this a they agree with mollie Tibbetts' dad and his appeal tooters. They think she should not be a pawn in thular debate by either her dad that thisistorts and corrupts her opinions on the issue and this particar man who was acd of killing her is not representative of the hispic community any more th a white supremacis of all E people. The republicanskedo said they do believe that, but natily people E still using he a weapon in their poght. You juad people like Ann pi is to blame for mollie Tibbetts' nd it's tsike that that irritate Republicans in they do respect this, and Ty think this should be cooled down Is appealing the base. I think that is the T that pre trump or St Miller has, sed on what you are saying is that it's not appealing to the bof publicans in I and that is -- ths somethinyou have to take into account. This is very personal to them. They donant it used that way. Overalf iumps up, that's one T the prent has to carefudividually, what does that say to people? Back tor interview, president trump said Jeff sessions is safe umibuwouldn't S how much longer he would stay after that. Re what he you in your interview. Jusdo his job, and if he did, I would be very happy you E job entails sides, not one side. Clearly no chancees I sticking around for tong Right. He has hadublicans a Sers say, en this would ne popular Y were to fire Jeff sessions and indeed your pollwshat only 19% of can adul support the idea of firing jeffhim to do a great job,ndhen we pressed him on that, what does that mean? Attackr hurt him in some way. Mentioned the ex-a director Brennan. He mention theex-fbi dirtor James Comey, and he mentioned the congressional ser THA was tied to there conspirac th people feels have harmed him, and he said, I question what these ople. That captured it ia hell. He wants him to and that means going after op E have Abo 30 seconds left here, and I just want to close as the Waye opened on th with John McCain and your GHTs. Relo this, we had a long good-bye for a good ma in the crse of Thi I think when you look it, you had this in your interview. Donald Trump, and many oleaders in sh I would hope senator Johnson who before would listen lot of what he said, which was as notonald trump. It was about how politics is practiced in Washington today by many diffeeo thanks to all of you. We have a big week coming up. We'll all be watching those, especiallyhe Brett kanaugh nfirmationearings. And we'll be right back.

This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.