Monday's Campaign Round-Up, 1.30.17

Today's installment of campaign-related news items from across the country.* With progressive activists protesting in large numbers against Donald Trump and his agenda, congressional Democrats are getting increasingly engaged with their activist base.* In a typical year, the ACLU raises roughly $4 million in online donations. Over the weekend, it raised $24 million. I've seen a lot of fundraising reports over the years, and that's just stunning.* Speaking of finances, the Koch brothers' network reportedly plans to spend "between $300 million to $400 million on policy and political campaigns during the 2018 election cycle."* In Gallup daily tracking polls, Trump reached 50% disapproval in just eight days. Compare that to his modern predecessors and you see just how unusual the president's unpopularity is.* Speaking of polling, Kellyanne Conway boasted over the weekend about a Politico/Morning Consult poll that purported to show "how popular" Melania and Ivanka Trump are. The poll, however, showed both women with favorability ratings below 50%.* Donald Trump has nevertheless already filed his 2020 re-election paperwork with the Federal Election Commission. President Obama was in office for more than three years before filing his re-election materials.* Last week, courts struck down Republican-drawn congressional district maps in Wisconsin and Alabama. Though both rulings will be appealed, there's now a very real possibility both states will have to redraw their lines ahead of next year's midterm elections.* It may seem early, but Virginia's gubernatorial race is getting underway, and in the GOP primary, Corey Stewart is already blasting Ed Gillespie as insufficiently far-right on abortion.* And Trump's first televised interview as president was watched by fewer people than President Obama's first televised interview as president. For everyone's sake, let's hope Trump doesn't spend the rest of the week obsessing over this.