*By Conor White*
After President Trump's unflagging defenses of Vladimir Putin this week, many in Washington fear that Russia may have "Kompromat," or compromising information, on the commander-in-chief.
Rep. Brendan Boyle (D-PA) is among the concerned.
"I'm not generally prone to conspiracy theories," he told Cheddar on Friday. "But I have to say, this week has been a real shift, myself personally and a number of really serious, responsible people who I trust, who were always resisting that explanation up until this week, because it's just so bizarre, the behavior President Trump exhibited while standing side-by-side with Vladimir Putin."
Trump had ample chances to support the near-universal theory that Russia meddled in the 2016 presidential election. But during his controversial co-presser with Putin on Monday, the president denied any foul play. The next day at the White House, Trump reversed his stance.
Boyle lamented that he should be used to this type of behaviorーbut he still doesn't have to like it.
"Eighteen months into this presidency I should probably stop being surprised, and yet I still am surprised when something as glaring as an American president on foreign soil, standing side by side with a Russian dictator, sides with the Russian dictator over the U.S., FBI, and U.S. intelligence agencies."
Trump's latest actions have alarmed several other republican lawmakers, including Sens. John McCain (R-AZ), Jeff Flake (R-AZ), and Ben Sasse (R-NE).
Rep. Boyle reiterated that this president is unlike any other.
"There was really no difference from Harry Truman to Barack Obama in terms of the idea of supporting NATO, that we were strongest when we stood together, that we were strongest in resisting first Soviet and then Russian expansionism and aggression. Donald Trump comes in and completely throws that all out."
For full interview, [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/trumps-attitude-towards-putin-has-dems-seeing-red).
Government spending is at record levels under the Trump administration and its drawing attention to the U.S. tax code. Cheddar's Kristen Scholer breaks takes a look at how Trump and Biden tax plans compare.
For countries around the planet, the presidency of Donald Trump in its first term has been, it is safe to say, a singular experience to watch.
Former Vice President Joe Biden has been hoping to match Trump in the one area where the president dominates most — social media advertising.
The Republican and Democratic candidates for Utah's gubernatorial seat having linked arms for an unconventional campaign ad that shows despite conflicting ideas, civility is possible. Lt. Governor Spencer Cox and Democratic challenger, Chris Peterson joined Cheddar to discuss how civility among people and politicians can move the country forward.
With weekly jobless claims remaining high, voters might want to know more about what former Vice President Joe Biden and President Donald Trump intend to do on the issue of labor.
Voters in Arizona, Montana, and New Jersey will vote on adult-use cannabis legalization, while voters in Mississippi will decide on medical cannabis and South Dakota will consider both medical and adult-use simultaneously.
Digital political ads , while not the primary source for campaigns, are growing in popularity. Cheddar's Michelle Castillo takes a look at how Facebook's political ad policies are being implemented.
Police are investigating vandalism that left several headstones at a Jewish cemetery in Grand Rapids spray-painted with “TRUMP” and “MAGA” before President Donald Trump held his final campaign rally in the western Michigan city.
Ryan Merkley, Wikimedia Foundation's chief of staff, joined Cheddar to discuss how Wikipedia is combating the spread of misinformation on Election Day.
Ahead of Tuesday's election, we're breaking down the candidates proposals on the federal minimum wage, particularly as the cost of living rises.
