After months of fiery tweets, partisan language, and closed-door and public testimonies from dozens of witnesses, Donald Trump has become the third president to ever be impeached by the House of Representatives.
"Last night was historic," Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif. 43rd District) told Cheddar a day after the House voted in favor of two articles of impeachment, straight down party lines.
Historic, it was.
In an America starkly divided in national politics and a presidential election less than a year away, Trump will now hit the campaign trail to seek re-election as an impeached president. Never before has this been done.
Now the Republican-controlled Senate awaits the articles of impeachment so it can play its role — holding the impeachment trial.
Democrats, like Waters, are concerned that a GOP-majority Senate, run by Leader Mitch McConnell is allying itself with the president.
"They are going to do whatever they need to do to support the president," said Waters, who chairs the House Financial Services Committee.
While Democrats have argued the president engaged in quid pro quo by halting military aid to Ukraine in an effort to get President Volodymyr Zelensky to announce an investigation into 2020 hopeful former Vice President Joe Biden, Republicans have largely argued against the process.
"The Republicans had no substantive defense. They did not talk about why this president shouldn't be impeached," Waters said.
She also added, "Some of the arguments [Republicans] made were ridiculous. To get on the Floor of Congress and liken him to Jesus Christ? And have a moment of silence?"
Waters was referring to Rep. Barry Loudermilk's (R-Ga. 11th District) floor speech, where he compared the impeachment vote to that of the trial of Jesus: "When Jesus was falsely accused of treason, Pontius Pilate gave Jesus the opportunity to face his accusers,"
"During that sham trial, Pontius Pilate afforded more rights to Jesus than Democrats have afforded this president in this process," Loudermilk stated.
Throughout this process, Republican have also noted that some Democrats have been calling for impeachment since his election.
Ranking Member of the Judiciary Committee Rep. Doug Collins (R-Ga. 9th District), one of the most vocal opponents in the conference against impeachment, stated in his opening remarks Wednesday, "One of our members, Ms. Tlaib, said on the night she was sworn in, 'We're going to impeach…' Well, you know the rest. In May of 2019, Al Green said, 'I'm concerned if we don't impeach the president, he'll get reelected.' That is probably the most prescient thing said by the majority in the last year, is they said, 'We can't beat him if we don't impeach him.'"
Collins, using Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich. 13th District) and Rep. Al Green (D-Texas 9th District) as examples, argued that because the Democrats lost the election in 2016, they never gave Trump a real shot at the presidency. Now he, and the Republican Party, say the Democrats are using impeachment to get him out of office before the upcoming election.
As early as May of 2017, Waters called for the impeachment of Trump. Two years later, she stands by that decision.
"When people say I started early, I started early to learn more about this president. I started early to understand why he acted the way he does, I started early to determine that there was nothing presidential about him," she said Thursday.
Russia has defaulted on some of its foreign debt as a tidal wave of western sanctions threatens its economy. The credit ratings agency S&P has placed Russia under "selective default" after it tried to pay its latest obligations in rubles. Russia now has a 30-day grace period to resolve the issue, but Moscow is threatening to take legal action. George Seay, Annandale Capital's CEO, joined Cheddar to break down what this means, and how Russia defaulting on its debt might impact the global economy.
China's zero-covid policy may pose a wide-ranging threat to the local, and overseas economy. Analysts voicing concern on the strict lockdown in Shanghai as businesses and ports remain shuttered, potentially threatening the global supply chain. Shehzad H. Qazi, Managing Director, China Beige Book International joined Cheddar's Opening Bell to discuss.
The consumer price index in March rose by 8.5% from a year ago, the fastest annual gain since December 1981 and one-tenth of a percentage point above the estimate. The rise in prices is driven by strong consumer demand, supply-chain disruptions and skyrocketing energy costs related to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Heather Boushey, Council of Economic Advisers Member for President Biden, joined Cheddar's Opening Bell to give her reaction to the latest inflation numbers.
As China faces backlash from its response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the U.S. is strengthening its relationship with India. India is expected to become one of the top three economic powers in the world over the next 10 to 15 years, bolstered by technological advances and the manufacturing sector. Samir Kapadia, CEO and Principal of The Vogel Group, joined Cheddar to discuss the state of India's economy, and how it can only grow from here.
With the midterms just a few months away, record-setting inflation is weighing on the minds of voters. According to a recent CNN poll, a majority of voters said the state of the economy will play a key role in how they cast their ballot, and 55% said the same of inflation. Joseph Zeballos-Roig, Economic Policy Reporter for Insider, joined Cheddar to discuss how inflation could shape the 2022 midterms, and ultimately determine the balance of power in Congress.
The Brooklyn subway attack is the latest in a string of high-profile crimes that have plagued New York City. The surge in crime comes as cities across the country are trying to recover from the pandemic and bring life back to a sense of normal. Joseph Giacalone, professor at John Jay College and retired NYPD sergeant, joined Cheddar's Opening Bell to explain what's behind the rise in crime, and what can be done about it.
After failing to take control of northern and western Ukraine, Russia is shifting its focus to the east. As both sides continue to pour reinforcements into the region, officials are expecting more conventional combat involving tanks, artillery, and aircraft that could shape the war's biggest battles yet. Doug Collins, a former Georgia congressman, joined Cheddar to discuss the change in Russia's tactics.
Catching you up on what you need to know on Apr 14, 2022, with the U.S. sending $800M to Ukraine, updates on the subway shooting in Brooklyn, Gov. Abbott putting a pause on his southern border truck inspections, migrants being bused from Texas to Washington, DC, the travel mask mandate extending until May 3, and more.
This March 19, 2018, file photo shows the Yelp app on an iPad in Baltimore. Yelp reports financial results Thursday, Nov. 7, 2019. The online review service will cover the travel expenses of employees who have to travel out of state for abortions, joining the ranks of major employers trying to help workers affected by restrictions being placed on the procedure in Texas and other states. The benefit announced Tuesday, April 12, 2022 covers Yelp's entire workforce of 4,000 employees, but seems most likely to have its biggest immediate impact on its 200 workers in Texas, which has passed a law banning abortions within the state after six weeks of pregnancy. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky, File)
