Billionaire Tom Steyer is putting his personal fortune behind an effort to get President Trump out of office. The "Need to Impeach" initiative started with a YouTube video, and now more than 4.7 Million people have signed its petition. Tom Steyer, Founder and President of "Need to Impeach," explains how he is trying to influence the political landscape.
"We are trying to enable the voice of the American people to be organized and heard by elected officials," said Steyer.
On whether this initiative is about electing more Democrats to Congress, Steyer says he does not have a specific step by step plan for how this is going to work out because "events are going to overtake all of this."
"It's like we are on a wild horse, and that horse is going to take us to some places we never expected," said Steyer. On Friday Special Counsel Robert Mueller charged thirteen Russians in a plot to interfere the 2016 U.S. presidential election through social media propaganda. President Trump tweeted in response, "Trump campaign did nothing wrong - no collusion!"
"The big question for this president is why is he not protecting the American people--why is he allowing a hostile foreign power to attack us," argued Steyer.
Texas Congressman Beto O'Rourke, a Democrat, joins Cheddar to discuss the ongoing fight to save the Dreamers Act, also known as DACA. He mentions his recent conversations with dozens of undocumented immigrants who came to the States as children, noting that their biggest concerns are losing their jobs and the homes and communities they have built for themselves. They also want their families to be safe.
Rep. O'Rourke also speaks about the immigration legislation which he introduced, as well as the short 5-month time frame Congress has to come up with a fix for DACA. If a fix is not agreed upon by March, 800,000 Dreamers will be at risk of losing their homes in the U.S.
We speak with the Congressman about his fight to take on Ted Cruz for his Senate seat in 2018. Rep. O'Rourke has come under scrutiny for his decision to leave the House and try for the Senate in a state that tends to lean Republican. He discusses why he believes his policies on healthcare and job creation are better for the people of Texas. He says he's excited to be part of the historic race, taking on a multi-term Senator like Cruz.
Texas Congressman Beto O'Rourke encourages "Dreamers" to up the ante and continue to create conversation around DACA. He says great things don't just come from Congress, but through protests.
