On Sunday’s CNN Newsroom, fill-in host Erica Hill trumpeted CNN political commentator Maria Cardona and former Republican Pennsylvania Congressman Charlie Dent taking turns accusing Republicans and President Trump of “betray[ing] the American people” by “spen[ding] billions on a war that no one wanted” AND starting an “absurd” “new trade war” with Canada.
Hill began by wondering if Democrats need to be “respectful, reasonable, and right in the way that they try to legislate” if they want to succeed in “tak[ing] back the House.” Alluding to impeachment, she asked Cardona if she was “concerned” that Democrats would “fall into the same retribution trap that we've seen from this president.”
Cardona assured Hill that Democrats will take back the House because “the number one, two, and three issues on the agenda for the American people are going to be affordability, affordability, affordability” and Democrats are liked with voters in wanting to end “the chaos and the corruption” by ensuring people who have “acted unlawfully and criminally” are “taken to the full extent of the law.”
CNN’s Cardona Touts Democrats’ Election Wins, Accuses Trump of ‘Betrayal.’ Republicans and Trump have “betrayed the American people” and “spent billions on a war that no one wanted.” They criticized Trump for starting the “new trade war” with Canada and described it as “absurd.” pic.twitter.com/69PUp1WeVC
— Sarah (@scbpoli) August 27, 2026
Cardona also insisted “Democrats are going to have to walk and chew gum at the same time” since, in her view, Trump and Republicans failed to deliver on their promises to the American people:
But again, let's go back to the number one issue and why Democrats have been able to win or over-perform in over 90 percent of the elections that have happened since Donald Trump took office, is because they have focused on helping Americans make ends meet, while this President and Republicans have betrayed the American people while they promised to do that.
Continguing to go unchallenged and uninterrupted (something only conservatives could dream of on CNN NewsNight with Abby Phillip), Cardona said the Trump administration is constantly “focusing on tariffs that have exploded prices, spending billions on a war that no one wanted and no one needed, and selling the White House to the highest bidder, which we have seen President Trump does almost every single day.”
Hill accepted the segment on Cardona’s terms, invoking this “new trade war” with Canada before Dent, the only “Republican” on the panel, concurred by calling America’s relationship with Canada “really tragic” and described Canada as “our brethren.” He criticized Trump’s tariffs and comments about Canada, arguing that the country has “a lot of reason to be upset.”
Dent also called the trade war “absurd” and urged the administration to reach an agreement with Canada. In other words, zero ideological diversity or exposition as to what the administration’s rationale would be for seeking a new trade deal with Canada.
This is CNN.
Click Expand to view transcript:
CNN Newsroom
08/23/2026
6:20 p.m. EasternERICA HILL: You know, when it comes to, Maria, you pointed out that if Democrats were to take back the House, they need to -- I'm paraphrasing here. I'm trying to remember you said they had to be, you know, sort of respectful, reasonable, right, in the way that they try to legislate. Are you concerned at all too that they not fall into the same retribution trap that we've seen from this president, right? This has very much been his agenda, as opposed to -- an agenda for the American people, despite what he campaigned on. But there are certain Democrats who seem to be campaigning on a similar platform. It's about payback.
MARIA CARDONA: I assure you 1,000 percent, Erica, that when Democrats take over the House of Representatives, the number one, two, and three issues on the agenda for the American people are going to be affordability, affordability, affordability. That is what the vast majority of Democrats have campaigned on. That is what the vast majority of Democrats have won on, and that is going to be the utmost priority. Now, under that comes a lot of things. Under that comes getting rid of the chaos and the corruption. Under that comes making sure that, and this is part of the agenda, that those people who have acted unlawfully and criminally and corruptly are, you know, taken to the full extent of the law, and that, what that means, Erica, is that Democrats are going to have to walk and chew gum at the same time, which of course they can do. But again, let's go back to the number one issue and why Democrats have been able to win or over-perform in over 90 percent of the elections that have happened since Donald Trump took office, is because they have focused on helping Americans make ends meet, while this president and Republicans have betrayed the American people while they promised to do that. They're focusing on tariffs that have exploded prices spending billions on a war that no one wanted and no one needed, and selling the White House to the highest bidder, which we have seen President Trump does almost every single day. And so that is going to be a huge contrast, Erica, and that's going to be what Democrats are focused on.
HILL: You both mentioned tariffs. I do want to, before we let you go, I do want to talk Canada, right? So, basically new trade war with Canada. Mark Carney was very clear. The U.S. asked too much and offered too little. Former Vice President Mike Pence earlier today told my colleague Dana Bash the last thing the U.S. needs right now is a trade war with Canada.FORMER VICE PRESIDENT MIKE PENCE [on CNN's State of the Union, 08/20/26]: I know the tough line President Trump draws. It usually is accompanied with short-term action and hot rhetoric. We're getting the same from the Canadians. But my hope is, for the sake of American families and for the sake of the American economy that that what we're looking at here is negotiation and not confrontation.
HILL: A lot of people hoping for a negotiation. Charlie, I don't need to tell you Congress's role here, which has been sidelined. How difficult could it be if this is the -- this is what Republicans are answering for come November?
CHARLIE DENT: Well, I think it's really tragic this really rupture in U.S.- Canadian relations. This should be the bedrock of American national security policy. They're our closest friends and partners. Frankly, they're our brethren. And I think this -- I think the Canadians have a lot of reason to be upset. They have been insulted with all the comments about the 51st state, and other insults to their sovereignty, and what's, I guess what's so stunning about it is, you know, the President also, you know, really obstructed the opening of the Gordie Howe Bridge, which the Canadians paid for, between Windsor and Detroit. I mean, the -- all sorts of things. And then, the next breath -- then the President's saying, let's resurrect the Keystone Pipeline. Hey, I agree with that, so he wants to, on the one hand, integrate the American and Canadian economies a little bit more, and on the other hand, he's trying to throw up m- more and more tariffs and obstructing integration with Canada. But which is it? I mean, we need to embrace the Canadians. This is the most absurd trade war, I think, that could have ever been started. I mean, we're also fighting with our partners in Europe. Half of GDP is between the U.S. and Europe, and so, none of this makes any sense, and we need to get off the dime, get to an agreement, and start respecting the Canadians again.
