Trump is stoking fears of 'violence' because 'he doesn't have a lot of tricks in his bag': NY Times reporter

President Donald Trump this week told evangelicals behind closed doors that there will be "violence" against them if Democrats win back Congress this fall.

Appearing on CNN Wednesday, New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman said that Trump's low approval ratings despite having a good economy meant that he didn't have many other options other than to scare his voters into believing their lives are at risk if Democrats win.

"He has been warned there are problems with that kind of language," Haberman explained. "He doesn't care. It's where he wants to go and what he thinks will have the most impact. He bases a lot of his actions on shock, and we've seen this before. So this isn't a surprise because he doesn't have a lot of other bags of tricks because, even in a great economy, they are still facing a potential loss of the House."

Elsewhere in the conversation, Haberman said that Trump has had to be repeatedly told that it would be a disaster for him to fire Attorney General Jeff Sessions -- an action that Haberman compared to a child touching a hot stove.

"The last time he touched a hot stove, he fired James Comey -- and he got Mueller," Haberman explained. "So, in some ways, Mueller has been job protection for Jeff Sessions."

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