The back and forth between Nikki Haley, the U.S. Ambassador to the UN, and President Donald Trump’s new economic adviser Larry Kudlow over sanctions on Russia Tuesday underscores the urgent need for the White House to overcome vast policy differences within the administration, says Jon Miller, White House correspondent for the conservative-leaning CRTV.
“They need to figure out how to get a singular message out there,” he told Cheddar Wednesday.
Haley said on Sunday the administration was set to impose sanctions on Russia for its role in Syria’s seven-year-long civil war. Days later, Kudlow denied that sanctions were on the table, saying on Fox News that Haley was just [“momentarily confused.”](https://twitter.com/GeoffRBennett/status/986285214803644423) The former South Carolina Governor hit back, reportedly saying in a statement, [“With all due respect, I don't get confused.”](https://www.cnn.com/2018/04/17/politics/nikki-haley-russia-sanctions/index.html) The tensions eased after Kudlow apologized to Haley hours later.
“I’m going to say that she’s the one who knows what she’s talking about in this instance,” said Miller. “She’s the one who’s calling the shots, and people seem to be coming behind her.”
Haley’s positions on a range of foreign policy issues have often clashed with the White House. She outwardly and persistently criticized the Kremlin on topics from the Syrian conflict, to Ukraine, to the 2016 presidential election, a sharp juxtaposition to Trump’s more demure approach to Russia.
“She’s a little more hawkish on issues in terms of foreign policy,” explained Miller. “She’s a little more outspoken. I think Trump has people around him who are trying to rein him in a bit.”
Kudlow’s attempt to undermine Haley may be a microcosm of an administration in perpetual chaos, with staffers often seeming to operate on completely different wavelengths. And that might be something that the president encourages, Miller said.
“The president has said he likes conflicting ideas. He says, ‘I like the conflict in my White House, I like different ideas happening.’”
For full interview, [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/gorsuchs-controversial-vote-haley-vs-trump-administration).
Following the surprising big beat on estimates for the January jobs report, William M. Rodgers III, vice president and director of the Institute for Economic Equity at the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, joined Cheddar News to break down the data. “We ended 2021 with a strong crescendo to a recovery that had taken hold, and we started 2022 in good fashion." He also discussed the dueling pressures of wage growth and inflation.
Jessica Mason Pieklo, senior vice president and executive editor of the Rewired News Group and co-host of the podcast. "Boom! Lawyered," joins Cheddar Politics to discuss Justice Stephen Breyer's retirement, legacy and potential replacement on the Supreme Court.
The Biden administration delivered a temporary win for student loan borrowers this year by extending the moratorium on federal payments for a few more months. That moratorium is coming to an end on May 1st and borrowers will again have their monthly loan payment plopped in their lap.
Stephanie Vanderslice, a creative writing professor paying off debt through the Parent Plus program, and Mike Pierce, executive director of the Student Borrower Protection Center, join Cheddar Politics to discuss.
2022 was already going to be a big year for the Supreme Court. We have decisions on major issues like abortion and gun rights on the way. Then, Justice Stephen Breyer announced his retirement and that set up a major confirmation fight for later this year. Amy Howe, co-founder of SCOTUSblog, joins Cheddar Politics to discuss.
The Labor Department released a better-than-expected report of 467,000 jobs added in January. Heather Boushey, Council of Economic Advisers Member for President Biden, joined Cheddar to tout the administration's handling of the economy amid the pandemic and the upward revisions for the previous month. "It also shows that, because of the revisions, the economy was stronger over the past couple of months," she said. "I don't think that this can be said enough, but economic forecasting during an historic pandemic is extremely difficult." Boushey also addressed issues involving wage growth versus the rapid rise of inflation.
The Labor Department's January jobs report showed 467,000 jobs were added, compared to the 150,000 that were projected, a sign that employment is continuign to return to pre-pandemic levels. Lindsey Piegza, chief economist at investment bank Stifel, joined Cheddar to break down the report, noting the big gains but adding a note of caution. "Remember, even with this morning's stellar report, we're still millions below that level that we had reached prior to the onset of COVID-19," she said." Yes, we are recapturing jobs. We still have further ground that needs to be made before we can talk about reaching that previous peak." Piegza also discussed the role of the Federal Reserve going forward as the employment figures turn more positive.
As President Biden's poll numbers fall with Black voters, Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass. 7th District) joined Cheddar to discuss what she feels could help the embattled administration: deliver on policies. Pressley pointed to stalled legislation such as new voting rights laws and Build Back Betters and canceling student loan debt, which would go a long way to improving his standing with Black constituents. "President Biden has the authority and the power to alleviate this burden, which would also help in closing the racial wealth gap, and he can do it by executive action with the stroke of a pen," she said. "And it doesn't require one vote from Congress. So, the Biden administration just needs to deliver to Black America in a tangible and impactful way."
