Members of the American public and lawmakers alike are demanding action after the unprecedented attack on the U.S. Capitol Wednesday that forced members of Congress into lockdown and delayed the counting of Electoral College votes. Congressman Seth Moulton (D-Mass. - 6th District) is among several lawmakers, including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.- 12th District), calling for the removal of President Donald Trump from office for inciting the chaos that unfolded on Capitol Hill.
"What President Trump did was not only illegal, it was anti-democratic. It was un-American, and we need to show future generations of Americans and future presidents that they can't get away with this," Moulton told Cheddar.
For Moulton, the president is just one of several people culpable for fanning the flames of aggression that led to yesterday's attack on Congress. Though the congressman considers many of his GOP counterparts friends, he said, "they have blood on their hands" and should also be held accountable.
"At the end of the day, the domestic terrorists — and that's what they were, domestic terrorists, not protesters but domestic terrorists — who attacked our government outside the Capitol, breaking in and breaching the U.S. Capitol for the first time since the British in the War of 1812, those domestic terrorists outside the Capitol were supported and inspired by the lawless Republican lawmakers inside the Capitol who refused to respect the will of the American people," he said.
The Marine veteran who served as an infantry officer said two law enforcement breakdowns led to Wednesday's display: a lack of backup support for officers and a lack of competence displayed by members of the Capitol Police. "There are over 2,000 Capitol Police and yet, yesterday we saw them literally open barricades in some places for these protesters, taking selfies with these protesters, and fundamentally allowing them to overrun the Capitol," Moulton said.
While DC's National Guard will be mobilized for the next 30 days, Moulton said the president's refusal to activate the troops while the chaos was unfolding exposes a larger issue in the matter of the District of Columbia's lack of statehood.
"The president had no problem calling out the National Guard to put down peaceful protests this summer over Black Lives Matter but he did not want the National Guard called out against his own supporters," he said.
Though there are just under two weeks left of Trump's presidency, Moulton said impeaching the president has to be on the table to show that no one, not even the president, is above the law.
"Yesterday, he clearly broke the law, and he fundamentally violated his oath of office, which is to protect us Americans from all enemies, foreign and domestic," he added.
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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.
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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.
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As President Biden's poll numbers fall with Black voters, Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass. 7th District) joined Cheddar to discuss what she feels could help the embattled administration: deliver on policies. Pressley pointed to stalled legislation such as new voting rights laws and Build Back Betters and canceling student loan debt, which would go a long way to improving his standing with Black constituents. "President Biden has the authority and the power to alleviate this burden, which would also help in closing the racial wealth gap, and he can do it by executive action with the stroke of a pen," she said. "And it doesn't require one vote from Congress. So, the Biden administration just needs to deliver to Black America in a tangible and impactful way."
