The Young Turks CEO on Trey Gowdy's Resignation: "It's Huge"
House Oversight Committee Chairman Trey Gowdy became the latest Republican to say he’s leaving politics.
Cenk Uygur, the CEO of The Young Turks, called the recent trend “unprecedented.”
"That means their poll numbers are disastrous. They think 2018 is going to be a landslide and a complete wipeout," Uygur told Cheddar.
Gowdy, a Republican from South Carolina, said in a tweet Wednesday that he wouldn’t run for re-election in the 2018 midterms and would instead return to the justice system.
His decision carries even more importance considering his position on the Oversight Committee, which has not yet completed its investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election. The previous Chair, Jason Chaffetz, stepped down in June.
"It would be shocking if it was a coincidence that everybody in Oversight is now saying, ‘I gotta get the hell out of there,’" Uygur said.
The loss of Gowdy comes as the GOP is increasingly at odds over how to work with the Trump administration. Some Republicans in Congress are trying to rein him in while others are standing behind him. Uygur speculates this sentiment has motivated Republicans to step down.
For full interview, [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/young-turks-founder-cenk-uygur-weighs-in-on-rep-trey-gowdys-retirement).
California Governor Gavin Newsom is projected to keep his job. Around two-thirds of the votes have been reported, and roughly 64% of those votes are in favor of keeping Newsom as their governor.
Daniel Strauss, senior political correspondent at The New Republic, joined Cheddar's Opening Bell to discuss more about what Newsom's win means to both political parties moving into Midterm elections season.
The Department of Justice is suing Texas over the state's new abortion law that prohibits abortions after six weeks, well before many women even know they're pregnant. The lawsuit argues the law is unconstitutional under long-standing Supreme Court precedent. It was filed last week in federal court in Texas, but could go all the way to the high court within weeks. Josh Blackman, a constitutional law professor at South Texas College of Law Houston, discusses the DOJ lawsuit and what it could mean for other abortion laws across the country.
26 states have now fully vaccinated more than half of their population with Vermont, Connecticut, and Massachusetts fully vaccinating at least two-thirds of their residents. These three states are among the ones with the lowest new Covid-19 cases per capita, but in states with low vaccination rates, hospitals are filling up again.
Dr. Rob Davidson, ER doctor and executive director of Committee to Protect Health Care, joined Cheddar's Opening Bell to discuss more.
