How Is Trump Doing? Why The President Gave Himself A ‘C’ Grade

President Donald Trump, typically a fan of braggadocio, was perhaps surprisingly demure when asked to grade the first month of his infant presidency in an interview with Fox and Friends televised Tuesday morning. Trump admitted not everything had gone perfectly thus far, while also being sure to point out he had achieved quite a bit.

Host Ainsley Earhardt asked the president "What grade would you give yourself from an A to an F?"

"I think in terms of effort, which means something, but, I give myself an A plus. OK, effort," Trump said in response. "But results are more important. In terms of messaging I would give myself a C or a C plus."

The president went on to explain that he thought he had truly done a fantastic job, but somewhere along the line he and his aides had failed to show the American public that fact.

"In terms of achievement, I think I'd give myself an A," Trump said. "Because I think I've done great things, but I don't think I have — I and my people — I don't think we've explained it well enough to the American public. I think I get an in terms of what I've actually done but in terms of messaging I'd give myself a C or a C plus."

Trump has a chance to reverse course on his messaging Tuesday night in a scheduled address to a joint session of Congress. While the president has a penchant for veering off any and all scripts, he's expected to talk about a range of proposed policies, including tax cuts, jobs, healthcare and immigration.

"The theme will be the renewal of the American spirit," White House spokesman Sean Spicer told reporters.

Trump has an extraordinarily low approval rating for a president who just took office. An NBC News and Wall Street Journal survey released over the weekend found just 44 percent of Americans approved of his performance thus far. That figure is not out of the ordinary. A Quinnipiac University poll last week pegged Trump's approval at just 38 percent, while 55 percent of voters disapproved of his performance.