Trump Unleashed: 'Master of All Media' Becomes His Own Spokesman
*By Carlo Versano*
President Trump raised the possibility on Monday that missing and presumed-dead journalist Jamal Khashoggi may have been murdered by "rogue killers" from Saudi Arabia, a theory he floated to reporters after a phone call with Saudi King Salman.
Trump also said he was dispatching Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to Saudi Arabia "immediately" in the hopes of quelling a mounting geopolitical crisis stretching from Istanbul to Riyadh to Washington, D.C.
Trump said Salman issued a "very strong denial" that he was involved in the disappearance of Khashoggi.
In an interview with "60 Minutes" that aired on Sunday night, Trump said there would be "severe punishment" if it turns out the Saudi royal family carried out a hit under diplomatic cover on Khashoggi, a dissident Saudi citizen and columnist for the Washington Post who lived and worked in the U.S.
Trump's interview ー in which he opined on several issues in confident and defiant terms, at one point telling CBS's ($CBS) Lesley Stahl, "I'm president and you're not" ー is part of a coordinated media strategy that has allowed the president to hold multiple Q&As per day.
"They're finally unleashing Trump to be this master of all media," Politico's Daniel Lippman said Monday in an interview on Cheddar. "He's putting himself out there," even as Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders has slowed the rate of press briefings to a trickle.
Meanwhile, three weeks out from the midterms, the 2020 race is heating up. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) over the weekend released results of a DNA test that showed she was part Native American ー a response to Trump's repeated questioning of her ancestry. It was clearly part of a plan to pit her against the president and "lay the groundwork" for a run, said Lippman.
Trump responded "who cares," to a shouted question about Warren on Monday. He denied that he ever [offered](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RwNlyiUy2Qk) to donate $1 million to charity if the Senator took a DNA test that showed she was "an Indian."
For full interview [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/im-the-president-and-youre-not).
John Petrides, Portfolio Manager at Tocqueville Asset Management, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell, where he breaks down Monday's market activity amid the emergence of the omicron variant, and what it could mean for the Fed's timeline when it comes to raising rates and tapering pandemic aid.
Earlier in the week, we saw President Biden nominate Jerome Powell to serve as Fed chair for another four-year term in the midst of the country’s struggles with covid, inflation, and supply unrest. Claudia Sahm, senior fellow at the Jain Family Institute and former Federal Reserve and White House economist explains why the markets saw a boost following the nomination.
House Democrats saw a big win on Friday when President Biden's trillion dollar Build Back Better social spending bill was passed but now the question is - can the bill hold up in the senate as it faces possible ongoing scrutiny from not only Republicans, but also some Democrats. Julia Manchester, reporter at The Hill, explains whether or not the bill will make it to President Biden's desk by Christmas.
Jamil Jaffer, Founder and Executive Director of the National Security Institute, joined Cheddar to discuss the concern surrounding Chinese tennis star Peng Shuai's disappearance following a social media post accusing a former high-ranking Chinese official of sexual assault.
Just hours before the scheduled execution of inmate Julius Jones, the Governor of Oklahoma Kevin Stit has now granted commuted his sentence to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Several advocates along with a number of celebrities have been fighting to stop the execution. Defense Attorney and Police Director Erin Haney, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
The book 'The Brainwashing of My Dad' examines how the rise of right-wing media changed a father and impacted the nation. Author of the book, Jen Senko, joins Cheddar News to discuss the history and future of conservative media.
Natalie Fertig, Federal Cannabis Policy Reporter for Politico Pro, joined Cheddar to discuss the shift among republicans to support federally legalizing marijuana.
The House has officially passed the $1.75 trillion social policy and climate big. This new bill is expected to bring some huge investments into working towards fighting climate change. U.S. President of We Don't Have Time, Sweta Chakraborty, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
Guilty verdicts have been handed down to the three men charged with killing Ahmaud Arbery. Arbery was out for a jog in February 2020 when Travis McMichael, William "Roddie" Bryan, and Gregory McMichael chased him down and killed him. The judge read the verdicts for each of the three men aloud, starting with the man who pulled the trigger, Travis McMichael. Kirk Burkhalter, professor at New York Law School joins Cheddar News to recap the trial.
All three defendants in the Ahmaud Arbery killing were found guilty today on numerous charges including felony murder. Criminal Defense Attorney Anthony Hall joined Cheddar to discuss.
