Note to wife:
Since President Trump hasn’t convinced Congress to fund his “beautiful wall” on the Mexican border, he has now declared a “national emergency,” which allows him to secure money from other sources within the government. (What ever happened to “Mexico will pay for it”?)
But few people believe an emergency actually exists. This isn’t 9/11. The number of illegal crossings from Mexico has dropped dramatically in the past decade. And security officials say the vast majority of illegal drugs enters the U.S. through legal ports of entry.
The actual crisis is Trump’s credibility among his base of supporters, most visibly Fox News analysts. The wall is a symbol, a signature issue he campaigned on in 2016. To them (and nearly everyone else) Trump has lost this one, so his “national emergency” is simply an attempt to save face and declare victory.
But undoubtedly the president’s end-run around Congress will be challenged in court – and could still be an issue during the 2020 presidential campaign.