CBS News investigative correspondent Catherine Herridge issued a “dark” prediction on Sunday about the future of the United States in 2024. Citing political division, national security concerns, and foreign threats, Herridge anticipates a “black swan event” — a major unforeseen occurrence with widespread effects — during the upcoming election cycle.
Appearing in a panel discussion on CBS’ “Face the Nation” on Sunday, Herridge laid out her “big prediction” for 2024.
“Well, mine’s a little dark. I just feel a lot of concern that 2024 may be the year of a black swan event,” she told moderator Margaret Brennan. “This is a national security event with high impact that’s very hard to predict. There are a number of concerns I have that factor into that.”
Learn the benefits of becoming a Valuetainment Member and subscribe today!
A “black swan event” is usually interpreted as a surprise development or other unpredictable circumstance that has a massive impact. Events like the Great Depression and the 2008 Housing Market Crash — all of which were unexpected at the time but seem obvious in hindsight — have been considered “black swans.”
“Not only this sort of enduring, heightened threat level, that we’re facing, the wars in Israel, also Ukraine,” Herridge continued. “We’re so divided in this country in ways that we haven’t seen before. And I think that just creates fertile ground for our adversaries like North Korea, China, and Iran. That’s what concerns me most.”
.@CBS_Herridge predicts in 2024, the U.S. may have "a national security event with high impact that's very hard to predict," pointing to ongoing wars and U.S. division as factors creating "fertile ground for our adversaries like North Korea, China and Iran" to take advantage of. pic.twitter.com/Vx8MTnn1W8
— Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) December 24, 2023
“A lot of people up at night with that concern, Catherine. At least in [Washington DC],” Brennan agreed. Similar 2024 predictions from other panelists included a crisis surrounding former President Donald Trump’s potential criminal convictions, a strengthened alliance between Russia and North Korea, and even the discovery of alien life.
Related: FBI Director Says Terrorism Threat is at an All-Time High
While the subject of the crisis at the southern border was notably absent from the panel’s discussion, it certainly tops the list of issues that have others concerned about the country’s future. According to the latest reports, 730,000 illegal immigrants have been encountered at the US-Mexico border since October 1, and December is on track to set a monthly record for migrant crossings.
With migrants from Africa, Asia, and the Middle East crossing alongside those from South and Central America, authorities are expressing growing concern that hostile actors may strike within the United States in an escalation of conflicts abroad.
The effect a national security “black swan event” of this magnitude would have on the 2024 election remains to be seen.
“Anyone who tells you what is going to happen with this election, and how it’s going to play out over the next year is selling you something because there are just so many different variables that all of us are tracking, and all of us are weighing,” the moderator said at the end of the segment. “But it’s also why none of us will sleep very much in the next few months.”
Add comment