From KCRW in Santa Monica and PRI, Public Radio International, this is To the Point.

The president's base. Why isn't it crumbling?

Hello again. I'm on an al-me, and this is To the Point. Donald Trump was an unlikely presidential candidate whose confidence was unbounded.

I could stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot somebody, and I wouldn't lose any voters, okay?

Now he's president, with a substantial base of supporters still behind him,

despite scandals, legislative failures, and public comments that divide the nation.

Overall support is declining, but few fellow Republicans have been willing to call him out,

fearing a backlash from those hardcore devotees.

That's political reality in the short run.

How long will it last?

We'll look at the consequences for the GOP as the electorate is relentlessly changing.

Later on today's talking point, will America's solar eclipse be a boon for the image of science?

First, here's the news.

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Hello, again, we're on me back with To The Point. President Trump's approval ratings are falling fast,

and he's accused of equating violent white nationalists with protesters against them.

What's the impact on his public support and the Republican Party?

On today's talking point later, we'll hear about the solar eclipse from the path of totality.

Is this a dramatic natural phenomenon Americans really needed to see?

First, this news update.

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