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).
Earlier today, Minnesota Republican Representative, Tom Emmer, introduced a bill that would prevent the Federal Reserve from issuing a central bank digital currency directly to American consumers. According to the Congressman from Minnesota, requiring Americans to open a fed account to access a digital currency, would "put the Fed on insidious path akin to China's digital authoritarianism." Rep. Tom Emmer joined Cheddar's None of The Above to discuss more.
Sixteen of the country's most prestigious universities have been hit with a lawsuit claiming those schools illegally conspired to eliminate competitive financial aid offers for students. Just some of the schools mentioned include Yale, Brown, Columbia, UPenn, and Cornell. Author of "Who Gets In and Why" and Professor of practice at Arizona State University, Jeff Selingo, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
Navient, a major student loan collecting company, agreed to cancel $1.7 billion in debt owed by more than 66,000 borrowers across the U.S. and pay over $140 million in other penalties to settle allegations of abusive lending practices.
The recently expired child tax credit helped a wide swathe of families throughout the U.S. Megan Pratz looks into the impact the payments had, and how the end of the program will have a drastic effect on families that could still use the help with child care.
The Supreme Court has stopped the Biden administration from enforcing a requirement that employees at large businesses be vaccinated against COVID-19 or undergo weekly testing and wear a mask on the job.
Buckingham Palace says that Prince Andrew’s honorary military titles and royal patronages have been returned to Queen Elizabeth II with her “approval and agreement.”
Prime Minister Boris Johnson has apologized for attending a garden party during Britain’s first coronavirus lockdown, but brushed aside opposition demands that he resign for breaching the rules his own government had imposed on the nation.
North Korea says leader Kim Jong Un oversaw a successful flight test of a hypersonic missile he claimed would remarkably increase the country’s “war deterrent.”