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."
Ukrainians defied pressure from Moscow with a national show of flag-waving unity Wednesday, while the West warned that it saw no sign of a promised pullback of Russian troops.
The families of nine victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School have agreed to a $73 million settlement of a lawsuit against the maker of the rifle used to kill 20 first-graders and six educators in 2012.
Russian President Vladimir Putin says that he welcomes a security dialogue with the West as his military reported pulling back some of its troops near Ukraine.
The megadrought bedeviling the American West got even drier last year and is becoming the deepest dry spell in more than 1,200 years.
As we celebrate Black History Month, Cheddar is highlighting prominent Black Americans who are carving their own historic paths and trailblazing in their fields. Today we feature poet and activist Amanda Gorman.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau invoked emergency powers Monday to quell the protests by truck drivers and others who have paralyzed Ottawa and blocked border crossings in anger over the country’s COVID-19 restrictions.
Families and gun control advocates are pressing President Joe Biden to do more to address gun violence.
The Biden administration on Friday escalated its dire warnings about a possible Russian invasion of Ukraine, saying it could take place within days, even as diplomatic efforts to resolve the crisis continued.
Two Democrats on the Senate Intelligence Committee say the CIA has a secret, undisclosed data repository that includes information collected about Americans.
As we celebrate Black History Month, Cheddar is highlighting prominent Black Americans who are carving their own historic paths and trailblazing in their fields. Today we feature New York Attorney General Letitia James.
