*By Max Godnick*
It's become cliché to compare any presidential scandal to Watergate, and it remains to be seen if any of the investigatory threads hanging off the Trump administration will unravel to reveal high crimes and misdemeanors.
Until the special counsel's investigation reaches its conclusion, we have Richard Nixon's Twitter alter-ego to provide historical context in real time, and the faux former president may not take kindly to an association with Trump.
Justin Sherin is the playwright behind the popular Twitter account, [@Dick_Nixon] (https://twitter.com/dick_nixon). He created the handle in 2008 and has been tweeted more than 65,0000 emulations of the 37th president's musings on political and popular culture. The profile has amassed a cult following of more than 45,000 fans, and has found new fodder with each development during Trump's scandal-rich presidency
However, Sherin is quick to point out the differences between the political and legal context surrounding Trump and Nixon.
"President Nixon brought himself down, certainly, but it didn't help him that he had a heavily Democratic Congress," said Sherin in an interview Monday with Cheddar.
Trump, on the other hand, has a Republican majority in the House and Senate, and a vocal, unwavering base of support.
So what would Tricky Dick, if he were alive today, say about Trump?
"I've characterized him calling Trump the culmination of the far-right, in his terms, 'kooks and crazies,' that he spent all of his life battling," said Sherin.
"He always said that the far-right of his party was extremely dangerous, but you needed them to win elections."
For the full interview, [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/how-similar-are-richard-nixon-and-donald-trump).
Many U.S. consumers say they’ve noticed higher than usual prices for holiday gifts in recent months, according to a a December poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. A contributing factor is the unusually high import taxes the Trump administration put on foreign goods. While the worst-case consumer impact that many economists foresaw from the administration’s trade policies hasn’t materialized, some popular gift items have been affected more than others. Most toys and electronics sold in the U.S. come from China. So do most holiday decorations. Jewelry prices have risen due to the cost of gold.
Serbia’s prosecutor for organized crime has charged a government minister and three others with abuse of position and falsifying of documents related to a luxury real estate project linked to U.S. President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner. The charges came on Monday. The investigation centers on a controversy over a a bombed-out military complex in central Belgrade that was a protected cultural heritage zone but that is facing redevelopment as a luxury compound by a company linked to Kushner. The $500 million proposal to build a high-rise hotel, offices and shops at the site has met fierce opposition from experts at home and abroad. Selakovic and others allegedly illegally lifted the protection status for the site by falsifying documentation.
President Donald Trump has signed an executive order to block states from regulating artificial intelligence. He argues that heavy regulations could stifle the industry, especially given competition from China. Trump says the U.S. needs a unified approach to AI regulation to avoid complications from state-by-state rules. The order directs the administration to draw up a list of problematic regulations for the Attorney General to challenge. States with laws could lose access to broadband funding, according to the text of the order. Some states have already passed AI laws focusing on transparency and limiting data collection.
The New York Times and President Donald Trump are fighting again. The news outlet said Wednesday it won't be deterred by Trump's “false and inflammatory language” from writing about the 79-year-old president's health. The Times has done a handful of stories on that topic recently, including an opinion column that said Trump is “starting to give President Joe Biden vibes.” In a Truth Social post, Trump said it might be treasonous for outlets like the Times to do “FAKE” reports about his health and "we should do something about it.” The Republican president already has a pending lawsuit against the newspaper for its past reports on his finances.
President Donald Trump says he will allow Nvidia to sell its H200 computer chip used in the development of artificial intelligence to “approved customers” in China. Trump said Monday on his social media site that he had informed China’s leader Xi Jinping and “President Xi responded positively!” There had been concerns about allowing advanced computer chips into China as it could help them to compete against the U.S. in building out AI capabilities. But there has also been a desire to develop the AI ecosystem with American companies such as chipmaker Nvidia.
House Republicans in key battleground districts are working to contain the political fallout expected when thousands of their constituents face higher bills for health insurance coverage obtained through the Affordable Care Act. For a critical sliver of the GOP majority, the impending expiration of the enhanced premium tax credits after Dec. 31 could be a major political liability as they potentially face midterm headwinds in a 2026 election critical to President Donald Trump’s agenda. For Democrats, the party’s strategy for capturing the House majority revolves around pinning higher bills for groceries, health insurance and utilities on Republicans.
