Primary season is in full swing for the eight Democrats hoping to cinch the nomination, but, as Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders gains steam, critics warn his rise to the top could aid President Donald Trump's re-election.
Andy Puzder, former CEO of CKE Restaurants and a Republican once tapped to be President Donald Trump's Labor Secretary, told Cheddar Monday that a Sanders nomination would be a win for Republicans, arguing the Vermont Senator won't appeal to his own party's moderates.
"I think he's kind of hurt the Democratic party in two ways. One is if he's the nominee, there are a lot of moderate Democrats, a lot of Democrats in business who can't vote from him," due to his economic policies, said Puzder, who is now a senior fellow of public policy at Pepperdine University. He added, "If he's not the nominee, I don't see those Bernie supporters, the Bernie troops, out there voting for Mike Bloomberg, even if Mike Bloomberg is the nominee."
While Sanders pulls a devoted crowd of supporters who want to see some of his non-mainstream ideas come to fruition (think: Medicare-for-All), none of the moderate Democrats have been able to solidify the same type of support and seem to be splitting the moderate vote in early contests.
Former Vice President Joe Biden last weekend suggested a Sanders nomination could hurt candidates down-ballot who may not align with a far-left platform. Former South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg, Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar, and Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren echoed those concerns.
Puzder also noted the strong economy that has manifested during the Trump administration. "I don't see anybody on that stage that has a reasonable chance of defeating an incumbent president in a good economy."
Citing a number of major polls, Puzder said a majority of Americans "think they're going to be better off economically next year than they are this year." If that's the case, he asked, would those people "vote for a guy who's going to blow up the economy?"
The Rev. Al Sharpton is set to lead a protest march on Wall Street to urge corporate America to resist the Trump administration’s campaign to roll back diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. The New York civil rights leader will join clergy, labor and community leaders Thursday in a demonstration through Manhattan’s Financial District that’s timed with the anniversary of the Civil Rights-era March on Washington in 1963. Sharpton called DEI the “civil rights fight of our generation." He and other Black leaders have called for boycotting American retailers that scaled backed policies and programs aimed at bolstering diversity and reducing discrimination in their ranks.
President Donald Trump's administration last month awarded a $1.2 billion contract to build and operate what's expected to become the nation’s largest immigration detention complex to a tiny Virginia firm with no experience running correction facilities.
Chipmaker Nvidia is poised to release a quarterly report that could provide a better sense of whether the stock market has been riding an overhyped artificial intelligence bubble or is being propelled by a technological boom that’s still gathering momentum.
Cracker Barrel said late Tuesday it’s returning to its old logo after critics — including President Donald Trump — protested the company’s plan to modernize.
Low-value imports are losing their duty-free status in the U.S. this week as part of President Donald Trump's agenda for making the nation less dependent on foreign goods. A widely used customs exemption for international shipments worth $800 or less is set to end starting on Friday. Trump already ended the “de minimis” rule for inexpensive items sent from China and Hong Kong, but having to pay import taxes on small parcels from everywhere else likely will be a big change for some small businesses and online shoppers. Purchases that previously entered the U.S. without needing to clear customs will be subject to the origin country’s tariff rate, which can range from 10% to 50%.
Southwest Airlines will soon require plus-size travelers to pay for an extra seat in advance if they can't fit within the armrests of one seat. This change is part of several updates the airline is making. The new rule starts on Jan. 27, the same day Southwest begins assigning seats. Currently, plus-size passengers can pay for an extra seat in advance and later get a refund, or request a free extra seat at the airport. Under the new policy, refunds are still possible but not guaranteed. Southwest said in a statement it is updating policies to prepare for assigned seating next year.
Cracker Barrel is sticking with its new logo. For now. But the chain is also apologizing to fans who were angered when the change was announced last week.
Elon Musk on Monday targeted Apple and OpenAI in an antitrust lawsuit alleging that the iPhone maker and the ChatGPT maker are teaming up to thwart competition in artificial intelligence.