The GOP Is Trying to Thread a Needle With Kavanaugh Accusations
*By Amanda Weston and Max Godnick*
President Trump appears to be "losing his patience" with the Brett Kavanaugh scandal, according to one White House correspondent.
The commander-in-chief's latest Twitter comments certainly seem to indicate as much.
"I have no doubt that if the attack on Dr. Ford was as bad as she says, charges would have been immediately filed with local Law Enforcement Authorities by either her or her loving parents," Trump [tweeted on Friday morning](https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1043126336473055235). "I ask that she bring those filings forward so that we can learn date, time, and place!"
He's referring to accusations from Christine Blasey Ford that Kavanaugh, a Supreme Court nominee, sexually assaulted her during a party while the two were in high school.
Moments after Trump's tweet on Friday, CRTV correspondent Jon Miller told Cheddar that Trump is reflecting the sentiment of many Americans who "absolutely want to take these charges seriously, \[but are\] wondering why they weren't filed 36 years ago when this event happened."
Miller himself said he thinks the chronology is "suspicious."
Still, Trump and his administration may have reason to worry.
"I think \[Trump\] was concerned that there's going to be bad news next week that could take down the Kavanaugh nomination," said Daniel Lippman, co-author of the Politico Playbook, in a separate interview with Cheddar on Friday.
Trump [took to Twitter](https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1043160312315146240) later on Friday to address the controversy.
"Senator Feinstein and the Democrats held the letter for months, only to release it with a bang after the hearings were OVER - done very purposefully to Obstruct & Resist & Delay," he said. "Let her testify, or not, and TAKE THE VOTE!"
Trump's tweets followed the news that Ford is open to testifying before the Senate Judiciary Committee, [but only if certain terms are met](https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/20/us/politics/brett-kavanaugh-christine-blasey.html). Her lawyers said testifying Monday (the original date for testimony) was not possible, igniting a debate about when, if at all, a deadline ought to be set.
For Miller, the sooner Ford testifies, the better.
"I think that the Senate should hold the hearing Monday, and if she doesn't show up, they confirm him," Miller said.
Lippman disagreed.
"It would look very bad for Republicans to say, 'Well, if she won't come on Monday, we're not going to let her come \[later on\],'" he said.
NBC News and The Wall Street Journal [released poll results](https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/first-read/poll-opposition-kavanaugh-s-confirmation-grows-n911581) this week claiming that more Americans now oppose Kavanaugh's confirmation than support it. It's the first time in the poll's history that a majority of Americans have opposed a Supreme Court nominee.
Lippman said the "constant drumbeat of bad news about Kavanaugh" is the main reason why most Americans have deemed the judge unfit for office.
"You want a Supreme Court justice to be the arbiter of fairness and good behavior and good morality," he said. "Most judges and lawyers, they don't act like \[Kavanaugh\] allegedly did when they were 17."
But the drumbeat aside, Miller believes the GOP still has the advantage.
"I think Republicans have the leg up simply because they have the numbers, given no one deflects," Miller said. "But I do think that in terms of public opinion ... that the numbers in support of Kavanaugh are going down. Unfortunately what the American people think about Kavanaugh doesn't exactly matter, here. The ball is in the Senate's court."
For full interview [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/trump-changes-his-tone-on-kavanaugh-accuser).
Following the invasion of Ukraine, a multitude of Western companies have paused doing business with Russia. PepsiCo, Coca-Cola, McDonald's, and Starbucks are the most recent companies to temporarily cease operations in Russia. Dean of Miami Herbert Business School at the University of Miami, John Quelch, joined Cheddar News to discuss what message this sends to Russia and the Russian consumer. “I would not underestimate the collective strength of all of these multinational companies, essentially coming together to make their collective statement in support of the political statements that have come out of Washington," he said.
The war in Ukraine continues to reveal heartbreaking gut-wrenching stories. The war in itself is not only devastating but also expensive. Experts estimate that Russia is draining nearly $20 million dollars each day to continue occupying and invading Ukraine. All this could force the country to turn to cryptocurrencies. It's a major turn for the country that briefly considered outlined digital assets entirely, but it could also have serious implications for cryptos. Managing Director at Quantum Fintech Group, Harry Yeh, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
President Biden announced a ban on Russian oil and natural gas imports to the U.S. in response to its invasion of Ukraine, a move he warned could lead to an even greater surge in gas prices. The ban is prompting a conversation about the current oil production levels in the U.S. and whether or not the industry can ramp up production to soften the blow to American families at the gas pump. Clark Williams-Derry, Energy Finance Analyst with the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis, breaks down the state of the U.S. oil industry and how the ban might impact production levels here at home.
PepsiCo, Coca-Cola, McDonald’s, and Starbucks are the latest American food brands to have halted business operations in Russia after having faced scrutiny and criticism for originally failing to do so amid the country's invasion of Ukraine.
As Russia intensifies its war on Ukraine, President Biden announced a ban on oil imported from the aggressor nation. Critics of Russia have said this would be the best way to force Putin to pull back, but curbs on Russian oil exports are expected to send already skyrocketing oil and gas prices even higher, further impacting consumers, businesses, financial markets, and the global economy. Leslie Beyer, CEO of the Energy Workforce and Technology Council, joined Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss. "It's certainly going to increase pricing, but it is the right thing to do," she said. "The industry itself has already pulled out of the significant portion of its operations in Russia."
Sports Betting in the U.S. is booming. According to industry experts, we could see another boom this year as more states move towards statewide legalization of sports wagering. While this comes as huge news for fans, there are some very real concerns as to whether or not sports betting potentially poses a threat to public health. Senior Clinician at the Caron Treatment Centers, Eric Webber, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
The Biden administration has made gender policy a core part of how it governs. The president established the first Gender Policy Council. It's on the same level as the National Security Council, Domestic Policy Council and National Economic Council, putting the interests of women and other underserved groups at the table for the most important policy discussions.
Cheddar News sat down with Jennifer Klein, executive director and co-chair of the White House Gender Policy Council, to discuss the council's work and its significance during Women's History Month.
State Representative Jessica González, Vice Chair of the Texas House LGBTQ Caucus, joins Cheddar News to discuss the latest Texas anti-transgender directive.
The United States Secretary of Agriculture, Tom Vilsack joins None of the Above to discuss the newly emerging conflict in Europe, what it means for agriculture in the states, dairy and meat consumption, and how the department is planning to promote climate-smart agriculture.
