House Democrats have introduced a resolution to impeach President Donald Trump, charging him with "incitement of insurrection." For Congress, impeachment is typically the last resort against a president after all other avenues have been exhausted, according to Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif. 15th District), but he said as long as President Donald Trump remains in office, the country is at risk.
"The president is a threat to life and he is a threat to our democratic ideals," Swalwell told Cheddar.
Swalwell said that Trump's actions were more dangerous than those of other presidents who faced impeachment. "There have been prior presidents to have been impeached, or have come close to impeachment, but no one has ever endangered so many lives. And this president still has access to the nuclear codes."
The resolution comes after the House Democrats' attempt to urge Vice President Mike Pence to invoke the 25th amendment was blocked by their GOP counterparts, some of whom are now calling for unification following last week's attack.
"I'm not going to be bullied by those who were accomplices to the attack on the Capitol. Those who are calling for unity and healing were the same ones who foolishly and falsely lead thousands to believe that they could overturn a peaceful election," Swalwell said. "Republicans and Democrats want to unite, but we have to separate ourselves from those who are responsible."
When it comes to those lawmakers who backed Trump's false claims that the November election was stolen, Swalwell stated that they have to be held responsible for their roles in the Capitol attack, even if that means expulsion from the body.
While House Majority Whip James Clyburn suggested that the House could delay sending impeachment articles to the Senate until after President-elect Joe Biden's first 100 days in office are complete, Swalwell noted that the body is capable of handling several issues at once and that letting this incident slide under the radar could set a negative precedent.
"The second we allow people to enable and inspire and radicalize others to take arms against the United States, that is the second we either go back in time to 1860 or we look like countries who we do not want to look like," he said.
Plans to add affordable housing to a development in Yellow Springs, Ohio, were squashed after comedian Dave Chappelle and other community members spoke out against the project. Chappelle threatened to pull the plug on his local comedy club and restaurant projects if the development had been approved.
David Tafuri, Former Obama Campaign Foreign Policy Advisor & Former State Department Official, joined Cheddar News to break down the latest geopolitical stories from Beijing, amid China's human rights abuses against Uyghur Muslims and yet another Russian doping scandal.
Dr. Jennifer Haythe of Columbia University's Irving Medical Center, joined Wake Up With Cheddar to discuss the latest with the pandemic, as the debate over child safety rages amid low vaccination rates and states easing school mask mandates.
David Nelson, Chief Strategist at Belpointe, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell, where he says that Wednesday's market movement shows a rotation back into the industries that were hit hard in January, but says his eyes are firmly fixed on the January CPI data set to be released Thursday.
Russia is preparing alongside Belarus for reportedly one of the largest joint military exercises ever held. Some analysts are concerned this could be a disguise for a real attack, while the Kremlin contends that the exercise is meant to confront potential "unprecedented security threats." Christian Whiton, a former State Department senior advisor, joined Cheddar News to break down the still tense situation. "While it could of course be a prelude to invasion, it seems like the Biden administration is signaling that if you look at Europeans, the Germans and Macron … who just met with Putin, they seem to be thinking that maybe this is a show of force by Russia intended at political intimidation, not actual invasion," said Whiton.
Truckers in Canada have blockaded the Ambassador Bridge, the busiest border crossing between Canada and the U.S. protesting a COVID-19 vaccine mandate. Cheddar News spoke with Samir Kapadia, head of trade practice at the Vogal Group, about how this impacts trade between the two countries.
New York City is not only dealing with the ongoing pandemic, it’s also facing a surge in crime. President Biden recently traveled to New York to meet with the city’s new mayor, Eric Adams, to discuss the rise in crime and gun violence.
The president praised Mayor Adams' crimefighting agenda and unveiled a new federal initiative to curb the flow of illegal weapons from the south. Josefa Velásquez, Senior Reporter for THE CITY, joined Cheddar's Fast Forward to talk about how the mayor is battling this increase in crime in his first weeks in office.
The Democratic governors of New Jersey, Connecticut, Delaware, and Oregon say they will lift mask requirements for schools in the coming weeks, reflecting a nationwide shift away from restrictions. Cheddar News speaks with internist Dr. Vivek Cherian whether it's safe to relax the regulation.
