Congressman Ted Lieu (D-Calif.) is raising questions after former special counsel Robert Mueller's testimony this week about his report on Russian interference in the 2016 election.
Lieu says Mueller appeared to give conflicting answers Wednesday about the ability to indict a sitting president, indicating in the first hearing that it could not be done, then rolling that back in the second hearing of the day.
"I found that very odd," Lieu told Cheddar on Friday. "He understood that what he said to me — that he refused to backtrack to the Republican member who followed me — was that Donald Trump committed the crime of obstruction of justice."
Lieu says he thinks Mueller walked back his comments because he didn't want to appear to say he believed the president was guilty of a crime.
Lieu's comments come amid growing pressure from some Democrats to begin an impeachment inquiry, a move that Speaker Nancy Pelosi still says is premature. But Lieu said that support is growing, pointing to five more members of his party who have come to support impeachment proceedings since Mueller's testimony.
"You can't watch these hearings and not conclude three things: that the Russians systematically attacked us in 2016 in our elections in a sweeping manner. Second, that the Trump campaign embraced this attack, used information from it, gave Russians internal polling, and knew it was going to help Donald Trump. And then third, the president committed multiple acts of obstruction of justice, which are felonies, to try to stop the investigation into the Russians."
But other representatives have said the only way Democrats will remove Trump is at the ballot box.
"We do need to be realistic, and that is, the only way he's leaving office, at least at this point, is by being voted out," said Rep. Adam Schiff on Thursday.
Lieu isn't deterred. "When the Nixon impeachment process started, 19 percent of the American people supported it. After a few months of hearings the American people decided Nixon was a crook, and then he eventually resigned," said the representative.
He also called Attorney General William Barr's announcement that he will revitalize federal capital punishment an effort by the Trump administration to "distract" from a bad week for the president.
Prices at the pump have escalated severely during the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Paul Christopher, head of global market strategy, Wells Fargo Investment Institute, joined Cheddar News to explain how he sees the gas prices continuing to spiral despite the International Energy Agency announcing the release of 60 million barrels of oil from the strategic reserves of 31 countries. "We think you could see oil and gas prices continue to rise. Oil prices maybe could hit $140 a barrel. That's possible. And that would add another 50-60 cents on top of the gasoline prices you already have," he said.
President Joe Biden is set to give his first State of the Union address amid both international and domestic crises: the Russia-Ukraine conflict and continued rising inflation and economic worries at home. He's expected to focus on a four-point plan to reduce everyday costs, and promote economic competition, among other key tenets. But will it be enough to persuade Americans that his administration will be able to get rising prices and foreign policy moves under control? Eugene Scott, national politics reporter at The Washington Post, joins Closing Bell to discuss Biden's expected focus, how he will aim to ease Americans' concerns, and more.
Dr. Daniel Bober, psychiatrist and certified addiction medicine physician, joins Cheddar News to offer tips on how parents and guardians can talk to their children about what's happening in Ukraine.
While crypto exchanges have been used to aid Ukraine amid the Russian invasion, critics point to possible sanction evasion on the Russian side using the same technology. Cheddar's Alex Vuocolo takes a closer look.
Airbnb.org has announced that it will provide up to 100,000 Ukrainian refugees with free housing. Airbnb.org is the philanthropic branch of Airbnb that provides free housing for those affected by disasters. Joe Gebbia, co-founder and chairman of Airbnb.org, joined Cheddar News to talk about how the company has helped thousands find shelter in times of crisis. "A lot of people are saying this conflict is likely to be the largest humanitarian crisis since World War II, and I believe Airbnb believes that companies have a responsibility to step up and to help out in times like these," he said.
The International Energy Agency’s 31 member countries have agreed to release 60 million barrels of oil from their strategic reserves “to send a strong message to oil markets” that supplies won’t fall short after the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Every ten years, there’s a census. That decennial count is long and tedious and arduous…and important. Because it confirms who lives where so the Federal Government properly allocates resources, so services go to the places that need them most and - yes - so states gain or lose seats in congress and have the opportunity to redraw all their state and Congressional lines.
That means, every 10 years, states start what has famously been one of the most partisan and divisive processes in politics. Because one strategic line can mean the difference in party control in not just the state legislatures but also in congress.
Cheddar explains how gerrymandering works and why it exists.
The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted blood donations leading to severe shortages throughout the country. Chloe Aiello reports on the desperate need for new donors.
Russian forces escalated their attacks on populated urban areas Tuesday, bombarding the central square in Ukraine’s second-largest city and Kyiv’s main TV tower.
