Trump's approval at 33%, 'Sharknado 3' at 29%

with Brett McGinness

As of Wednesday afternoon, it seems the only way tell the difference between the real world and a sci-fi script is the presence of animal/natural disaster hybrids. No sharknadoes? That means we're still in the implausible-but-not-altogether-impossible version of America.

In the latest edition of OnPolitics Today, we have the latest updates on the real-world feuds between the White House and the media and the "he said, they said" dispute between the president of the United States and the Boy Scouts of America.

In retrospect, Ann Coulter portraying the VP seems like less of a stretch

Leading off with the weirdest news of the day: The Hollywood Reporter says "Sharknado 3" producers considered casting Donald Trump as president in the 2015 film. Ian Ziering, star of the disaster series, reached out to his old "Apprentice" contact and learned that Trump was interested.

But Trump was apparently double-booked, Oval Office-wise. "Donald's thinking about making a legitimate run for the presidency, so we'll get back to you," said Trump lawyer Michael Cohen, according to the article. "This might not be the best time." Instead, the production proceeded with Mark Cuban as president -- and Trump threatened to sue over the snub . Still, getting to be the regular president seems like a pretty good consolation prize, especially when audiences still have a marginally higher opinion of his presidency than the movie.

Immigration overhaul proposal sparks poetry analysis fight

Through the first six months of Trump's presidency, the immigration debate usually has included the words "illegal" and "wall" (and sometimes "#MAGA" if you're stretching the definition of "word"). But Wednesday morning, President Trump introduced a plan alongside Sens. Tom Cotton of Arkansas and David Perdue of Georgia that would cut legal immigration to the U.S. by 50 percent over the next 10 years.

"This legislation demonstrates our compassion for struggling American families who deserve an immigration system that puts their needs first and that puts America first," Trump said at a White House event. The plan would reduce the number of low-wage, low-skill immigrants and those with family ties within the U.S., giving priority to entrepreneurs, applicants who speak English and those who have job offers in the U.S.

Later that day at a press briefing, CNN's Jim Acosta got into a fight with White House adviser Stephen Miller that lasted several awkward minutes. Acosta asked Miller if the new policy squared with the poem at the base of the Statue of Liberty asking for "your tired, your poor, your huddled masses." Miller fired back that Acosta's implied criticism showed his "cosmopolitan bias" and that the the poem itself was "national park revisionism" ( for the record, the poem was written to raise funds for the statue but wasn't added to the base until decades later).

President signs Russia sanctions, seems really thrilled about it

After both houses of Congress overwhelmingly approved new sanctions on Russia, Iran and North Korea, President Trump signed them into law Wednesday morning. Sure, the bill covers all three countries, but it's the "Russia" part that has everyone talking.

First, the other guys:

•	Ships from North Korea (and anyone else supporting Kim Jong-Un's regime) will be unable to dock at American ports or operate in American waters. Also, goods manufactured by North Korean forced labor won't be allowed on U.S. shelves. (Shouldn't that have already been a thing?)
•	Individuals assisting Iran with pursuing weapons of mass destruction, or assisting terrorist organizations, will face sanctions. (Again, seems like we should have gotten around to that earlier.)

The Russian sanctions, on the other hand, target the inner circle of Russian President Vladimir Putin, including leaders in the oil and gas industries and individuals believed to be involved in cyberhacking American interests. Russia retaliated by expelling 755 American diplomats and seizing recreational property used by American embassy staffers.

"Congress could not even negotiate a healthcare bill after seven years of talking," Trump said in a signing statement (because there wasn't a fancy signing ceremony). "By limiting the Executive's flexibility, this bill makes it harder for the United States to strike good deals for the American people, and will drive China, Russia, and North Korea much closer together."

Elsewhere in politics

•	It's the president's word against the Boy Scouts'
•	White House slated for redevelopment, probably
•	Critics say Sen. Jeff Flake's book will make a lousy 160-page campaign slogan