President Trump reiterated his "America first" worldview and policy agenda on Tuesday in a speech at the United Nations that bemoaned globalism and instead urged mutual support among sovereign nations.
"Wise leaders put the good of their own people and their own country first," Trump said in his third address as president to the UN General Assembly. "The free world must embrace its national foundations. It must not attempt to erase them or replace them."
However, he called for countries to work together toward common goals. "America is ready to embrace friendship with all who genuinely seek peace and respect," he said. "Many of America's closest friends today were once our greatest foes. America has never believed in permanent foes."
As with his past speeches at the UN, Trump used the platform to critique international institutions.
The president doubled down on his maximum pressure approach to Iran, a government he characterized as "one of the greatest security threats" to international peace. Trump, who pulled the U.S. out of the Iran nuclear deal last year despite global objections, threatened greater sanctions if "menacing behavior continues" and added that "no responsible government should subsidize Iran's blood lust."
Trump also called on North Korea to denuclearize and slammed Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, calling the embattled leader a "dictator" and "a Cuban puppet protected by Cuban bodyguards." In a not-so subtle shunning, the Venezuelan delegation in the audience visibly read a book about Simón Bolívar, the military and political leader that lead Venezuela's fight for independence.
<i>Photo Credit: Richard Drew/AP/Shutterstock</i>
On China, Trump reiterated that he will "not accept a bad deal for the American people" in order to resolve the enduring trade dispute between the two countries. He also called on Chinese President Xi Jinping to tread carefully in responding to the ongoing unrest in Hong Kong, saying that China must adhere to the governing system that protects "Hong Kong's freedom, legal system, and democractic ways of life."
He bragged of America's strong economy and lowest level of unemployment in half a century, "thanks to our pro-growth economic policies" and noted plans to meet with Japan's Prime Minister Shinzō Abe to work on a new trade agreement.
While touting the might of the U.S. military, the president said the U.S. "does not seek conflict" and desires "peace, cooperation, and mutual gain with all," although his administration will "never fail to defend America's interests." He also called on member nations to increase their contributions to global security and "pay their fair share of the tremendous defense burden" that has largely fallen on the U.S.
On migration, Trump fired back against international criticim of his illegal immigration policies, saying, "Each of you has the absolute right to protect your borders and so, of course, does our country." He also criticized "open border activists" who he said pursue a "cruel and evil" agenda that is "empowering criminal organizations that prey on innocent men, women and children."
The president also derided socialism — the "wrecker of nations and destroyer of societies" — and declared that the U.S. will never be a socialist country.
Above all, however, Trump stressed that governments lead by "patriots" are the future of the world's nation-state system.
"The true good of a nation can only be pursued by those who love it, by citizens who are rooted in its history, who are nourished in its culture, committed to its values, attached to its people, and who know that its future is theirs to build," Trump said at the end of his speech.
Student loan debt continues to be a major concern for tens of millions of Americans who collectively owe about $1.7 trillion. Black college students often take on larger amounts of student debt in order to pay for a higher education. In turn, they are more likely to struggle post-graduation with repaying their debt, creating a racial wealth gap divide. Andre Perry, senior fellow at Brookings Institution joined All Hands to help break down the black student debt crisis.
After two NYPD officers were killed with an illegal gun, President Biden made a trip to New York City to speak on the issue of gun violence fed by the "iron pipeline" of illegal firearms that make their way from the South to the Big Apple. Kris Brown, the president of the gun violence prevention organization Brady United, joined Cheddar to discuss what this visit from the president could mean for the future of gun laws in America. "He's asked Congress to pass things like expanding the Brady background check system, but with the filibuster a barrier to so much action right now in the Congress, he's looking at solutions that involve funding at the federal level and really involve enforcement."
Following the surprising big beat on estimates for the January jobs report, William M. Rodgers III, vice president and director of the Institute for Economic Equity at the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, joined Cheddar News to break down the data. “We ended 2021 with a strong crescendo to a recovery that had taken hold, and we started 2022 in good fashion." He also discussed the dueling pressures of wage growth and inflation.
Jessica Mason Pieklo, senior vice president and executive editor of the Rewired News Group and co-host of the podcast. "Boom! Lawyered," joins Cheddar Politics to discuss Justice Stephen Breyer's retirement, legacy and potential replacement on the Supreme Court.
The Biden administration delivered a temporary win for student loan borrowers this year by extending the moratorium on federal payments for a few more months. That moratorium is coming to an end on May 1st and borrowers will again have their monthly loan payment plopped in their lap.
Stephanie Vanderslice, a creative writing professor paying off debt through the Parent Plus program, and Mike Pierce, executive director of the Student Borrower Protection Center, join Cheddar Politics to discuss.
2022 was already going to be a big year for the Supreme Court. We have decisions on major issues like abortion and gun rights on the way. Then, Justice Stephen Breyer announced his retirement and that set up a major confirmation fight for later this year. Amy Howe, co-founder of SCOTUSblog, joins Cheddar Politics to discuss.
The Labor Department released a better-than-expected report of 467,000 jobs added in January. Heather Boushey, Council of Economic Advisers Member for President Biden, joined Cheddar to tout the administration's handling of the economy amid the pandemic and the upward revisions for the previous month. "It also shows that, because of the revisions, the economy was stronger over the past couple of months," she said. "I don't think that this can be said enough, but economic forecasting during an historic pandemic is extremely difficult." Boushey also addressed issues involving wage growth versus the rapid rise of inflation.
The Labor Department's January jobs report showed 467,000 jobs were added, compared to the 150,000 that were projected, a sign that employment is continuign to return to pre-pandemic levels. Lindsey Piegza, chief economist at investment bank Stifel, joined Cheddar to break down the report, noting the big gains but adding a note of caution. "Remember, even with this morning's stellar report, we're still millions below that level that we had reached prior to the onset of COVID-19," she said." Yes, we are recapturing jobs. We still have further ground that needs to be made before we can talk about reaching that previous peak." Piegza also discussed the role of the Federal Reserve going forward as the employment figures turn more positive.
