On the morning after the House of Representatives approved two articles of impeachment against Donald Trump, making him the third president to be charged with committing high crimes and misdemeanors, a former secretary of defense said he's worried that if the U.S doesn't stand strong for its principles, foreign adversaries may cross a line.
"I don't know how much terrorists pay attention to [impeachment proceedings] but to the extent, internal turmoil and, obviously, division in our country suggests to others that we will not stand strong with friends, we won't stand strong for our interests our principles… that's dangerous," former Obama administration Secretary of Defense Ash Carter told Cheddar Thursday. That invites leaders like Russia's Vladimir Putin, North Korea's Kim Jong Un, or China's Xi Jinping "to walk across the line," he said.
Carter, who spent 37 years inside the Pentagon, said what keeps him up at night is that "we're not keeping a position in the world where our friends will stick with us and our enemies, or potential enemies, know they better not mess around with us."
When asked if the president was a threat to national security, Carter said "I certainly would not advise him to sit alone with Vladimir Putin," referencing Trump's affinity for meeting with his Russian counterpart privately, which has happened more than 15 times since he assumed the office in 2017. "[Putin] is, first and foremost, a KGB guy. You always have to remember that's the mindset. So, he's very good at manipulation. And I do worry about any president, but especially President Trump does seem susceptible, when he gets in a room with someone, to want to please them."
The ongoing war in Ukraine and the Fed's hawkish stance toward reining in inflation might be causing a frenzy among investors. Craig Erlam, a senior market analyst at foreign exchange OANDA, joined Cheddar News to talk about the current "mixed bag" markets. "It's hard to read too much into it. These are just the market conditions we have right now," he said. "Ultimately we're a little directionless at times overall, but these intraday moves are causing a lot of volatility this week."
Catching you up on what you need to know on April 29, 2022, with President Biden asking Congress for a $33 billion aid package for Ukraine, a shrinking GDP potentially leading to a recession, Beijing banning weddings and funerals while closings schools amid COVID, and more.
Buying a new home is tough right now; but for first-time buyers, it's an especially challenging time, with obstacles like rising mortgage rates and record-breaking home prices. The housing market is not expected to get much friendlier, as mortgage rates are expected to continue to climb as the Federal Reserve proceeds with its plans for rate hikes in an effort to stifle inflation. Jonathan Miller, President and CEO of real estate appraiser Miller Samuel, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
Tyler Moran, former senior adviser to President Biden on migration, joins Cheddar Politics to discuss the recent controversy around the administration's decision to end the use of Title 42, a public health order allowing the U.S. to expel migrants without going through the asylum process.
Christian Heyne, vice president of policy at the gun safety group Brady, joins Cheddar Politics to discuss President Biden's executive action on so-called "ghost guns," and to reflect on the Brooklyn subway shooting.
Jasmine Burney-Clark, founder of Equal Ground Education Fund and Action Fund, joins Cheddar Politics to discuss the redistricting process in Florida, and how the state's Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis proposed a map reducing the power of Black Floridians.
Ryan Thoreson, an LGBT rights researcher at Human Rights Watch, joins Cheddar Politics to discuss claims of grooming made by Republican politicians during efforts to pass so-called 'Don't Say Gay' bills.
Zachary Petrizzo, media reporter at The Daily Beast, joins Cheddar Politics to discuss former President Trump's endorsement of Dr. Oz in the U.S. Senate race in Pennsylvania, and why some parts of the MAGA base are unhappy about it.
Larry Sharpe, libertarian candidate for New York governor, joins Cheddar Politics to talk about the issues motivating his campaign. The discusses his endorsement from the progressive Forward party founded by former presidential candidate Andrew Yang, and changes that can be made to voting systems.
