While foreign policy has been etched off the list of topics for the next presidential debate, to the chagrin of the Trump campaign, the president's former National Security Advisor Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster, said it should still be a major concern for Americans, particularly when it comes to China.
“This is a grave challenge, I think, to all the free world. This is because, I think, the Chinese Communist Party is driven by this combination of fear and ambition and it’s driving the party to extend and tighten their exclusive grip on power internally,” McMaster told Cheddar.
In his new book titled, Battlegrounds: The Fight to Defend the Free World, McMaster details his time in the Trump White House and how he attempted to shift the dynamics of foreign policy. Specifically, when it comes to China, he said there needs to be continued pressure applied as the communist nation cracks down violently on its own people and to ensure the protection of intellectual properties.
Protecting Personal Data
As TikTok’s presence in the United States remains conditional and temporary pending a federal judge’s decision, McMaster calls the social media platform’s rumored security risk a real threat to Americans. “Do you really expect the Chinese Communist party to treat your son or daughter better than they treat their own people?” McMaster asked.
Trump has contended that the platform is a national security risk because Beijing could demand vast amounts of data from its parent company, China-based ByteDance. McMaster also cited the 2018 charges levied against Chinese nationals accused of hacking global businesses and the U.S. government.
“I think it’s very important not to give the party the access to this data they’re just going to use to try to dominate the emerging data-driven economy, but also, I think, to weaponize against us the way they weaponize it against their own people,” he continued.
The president has suggested a Biden presidency would be weak on the nation. But for McMaster, when it comes to Trump’s handling of China, particularly on the issue of trade, there needs to be a new approach that affects real change.
“I don’t see how steel and aluminum tariffs, for example, on our allies help us cope with the problem associated with Chinese overproduction and dumping practices,” he said of Trump's economic maneuvers meant to put pressure on Beijing.
Global U.S. Concerns
The retired lieutenant general was also critical of the way the Bush and Obama administrations handled China, encouraging the nation to join the international order, calling them both “just flat wrong.”
The election’s winner has to be ready for “competing effectively” as Beijing is still unwilling to join the fold of the “free world,” McMaster said.
While the U.S. faces known opposition from nations like Russia and China, according to McMaster, there are more threats that are not being discussed enough. Among those global U.S. concerns are countries like Pakistan and North Korea, which he said both pose nuclear threats. McMaster also noted the tensions in Afghanistan that could flare again once troops are withdrawn, carving a path for “the Taliban and Jihadist terrorists” to regain power in the region.
Vice President Kamala Harris received impressive amount of media coverage in January for making history. However, the media attention waned significantly and some are now even saying she has almost disappeared from public view. Reecie Colbert, founder of BlackWomenViews Media, joined Cheddar Politics to discuss more.
If you thought you heard the last of the Mueller report back in 2019, you'd be wrong. While the bombshell report was the biggest story in Washington for years, much of the report remained redacted. Our friends at BuzzFeed News weren't satisfied, so they sued to have certain passages unredacted. They notched another win when a federal appeals court ordered ten passages from the report to be released.
Matt Topic, BuzzFeed's attorney in the case, and Jason Leopold, reporter at BuzzFeed News, join Cheddar Politics to discuss.
The U.S. reported its first confirmed case of the omicron variant in California on Wednesday. Scientists and health officials are racing to understand the variant, with the WHO saying it's still too early to determine whether it's more contagious, more deadly or more resistant to vaccines than other variants. Omicron has pushed members of the WHO to commit to start talks over a "gobal pandemic treaty" for future pandemic preparedness.
Priti Krishtel, co-founder and co-executive director of the Initiative for Medicines, Access & Knowledge, joins Cheddar Politics to discuss.
Wednesday was not a good day for those who believe in abortion rights in this country as the Supreme Court heard arguments on a Mississippi abortion law that bans most abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy. The majority of the court appears poised to roll back abortion rights, and the questions from the conservative justices seemed to indicate the law for nearly 50 years is likely to change.
Jessica Mason Pieklo, senior vice president and executive editor of Rewire News Group, joined Cheddar Politics to discuss Wednesday's hearing.
Michael Cohen, Donald Trump's former personal lawyer, has been busy since completing his prison sentence in November. He's getting into the NFT space, selling his federal prison badge and the original manuscript of his book "Disloyal" as NFTs. Cohen joined Cheddar to discuss his latest venture and why he thinks there is still much to be revealed about his case.
Jonathan Adler, Law Professor at Case Western Reserve University, joined Wake Up With Cheddar to discuss Tuesday's ruling and provide legal context to recent battles over vaccine mandates.
Carlo and Baker wrap up the week talking about the Biden economic boom that no one seems to notice, a verdict in the Jussie Smollett case, the first Starbucks union in America and the pleasures of the "dude nod."
A new bill in Congress shows just how bipartisan cannabis really is. Rep. David Joyce, a Republican from Ohio, teamed up with progressive Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on a cannabis expungement bill. Cheddar cannabis reporter Chloe Aiello spoke with the congressman about the legislation.
The Congressional Progressive Caucus have lined up to support the Thirty-Two Hour Workweek Act introduced by Rep. Mark Takano (D-Calif. 41st District). The representative joined Cheddar to discuss how instituting a four-day workweek in the United States can be beneficial for both employees with the need of a work-life balance and employers looking both to retain talent amid a labor shortage and improve efficiency in their workforces. "We live in a different time than 90 years ago when we established a 40-hour workweek," he said. "We've had a lot of technological changes, the American worker is exponentially more productive than previous generations, so it's time to reexamine Americans and the way in which they relate to work."
