Rep. Kinzinger Thinks Trump "Gets" How To Deal With North Korea
The United States has tried to be patient with North Korea for 25 years now, but the strategy has led to a country that is just shy of developing an intercontinental ballistic missile, a Republican congressman told Cheddar.
Illinois Representative Adam Kinzinger said that after having lunch with President Donald Trump, he is confident that the U.S. is now moving in the right direction.
“When you use diplomacy against an adversary, the only way it really works is with a credible military threat behind it, ”Kinzinger said.
Trump, who’s currently on a multi-nation trip to Asia, has made his intent to denuclearize North Korea clear. According to the White House, this is one of the goals of his trip.
“President Trump will stress the United States’ commitment to the complete, verifiable, and permanent denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and will call on all responsible nations to act now to ensure that the North Korean regime cannot threaten the world with nuclear devastation,” the White House reports.
Kinsinger maintains, however, that while Trump “gets” how to deal with North Korea and previously emphasized the importance of having a strong military threat, the president is now looking to exhaust all viable options before resorting to military action.
With this Indo-Pacific trip, Trump is sending a dual message to both North Korea and the country's allies and adversaries, Kinzinger said.
“To our friends: hey, join us in trying to make sure that North Korea does not get a nuclear weapon; it’s in all of our interests,” he said. “To our adversaries: why don’t you join us to help us ensure this as well.”
Natalie Fertig, federal cannabis policy reporter at Politico Pro, joins Cheddar News to discuss a new YouGov poll that looks at how Americans feel about marijuana and politics.
Alex Ward, National Security Reporter at Politico, joined Wake Up With Cheddar to discuss the latest in a looming international threat as Russia continues aggression against Ukraine, in defiance of Western nations.
The recent Virginia and New Jersey elections are making one trend line pretty clear: voters in this climate will vote on education, and it could be a winning tactic for Republicans.
Virginia's race for governor was defined by, as the Republican candidate and eventual winner described it, "school-choice." Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is taking a page out of Governor Youngkin's playbook for his upcoming reelection bid, over-indexing on themes of education. John Kennedy, Florida capital reporter at Gannett, joins Cheddar News to discuss.
North Korea launched its sixth missile test this month, equaling the total number performed in all of 2021. Cheddar News speaks with Bruce Klinger of the Heritage Foundation on why the regime is suddenly ramping up its weapons testing program.
More than 80 lawmakers are calling for President Biden to release a memo outlining the legal pros and cons regarding the president's authority to cancel student loan debt, the total of which sits around $1.75 trillion. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.), joined Cheddar to discuss the memo and support the push to forgive student debt that could potentially have a massive positive impact on the U.S. economy. "I think that would be really helpful for all of us to be able to see as we figure out how we can go forward," she said. "It seems like a simple thing to do, and I hope that the administration will release this memo." For her part, Sen. Smith said she believes the president does have the authority to abolish student loan debt.
Dr. Celeste González de Bustamante, professor and director of the Center for Border and Global Journalism at the Univerity of Arizona, and Dr. Jeannine E. Relly, professor and director of Global Initiatives at the Center for Border and Global Journalism at the University of Arizona, join Cheddar News to discuss the recent journalist killings in Mexico.
