Trump Seeks To Abuse His Power Through National Emergency Over Manufactured Crisis
Donald Trump speaks during a campaign rally at the James L. Knight Center, Friday, Sept. 16, 2016, in Miami. (AP Photo/ Evan Vucci)
Rantt Rundown, Day 756 of Trump’s presidency – Today’s top stories:
1. Fake national emergency: The border compromise that allocates $1.375 billion for border security and averts a government shutdown has passed Congress, but another fight is on the horizon. President Trump is likely about to do what many consider to be a blatant abuse of power. After Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) signaled that President Trump will sign their bill and declare a national emergency to reallocate funds to build his wall, Press Secretary Sarah Sanders confirmed. Trump will reportedly allocate $8 billion to the effort. It’s been reported that the Justice Department has warned the White House that this move would be tied up in court. The possible sequence of events before us: 1) National emergency declared simply to show Trump’s base he’s fighting. 2) Gets tied up in court battles (if Congress doesn’t block it themselves.) 3) Trump blames the courts. 4) Trump, who couldn’t even build the wall with a GOP majority, then campaigns on the wall again in 2020. 5) National emergency eventually struck down in the Supreme Court with Chief Justice Roberts (and possibly Justice Gorsuch who has expressed qualms with expansive executive power) siding with liberals.
It’s important to note that President Trump’s basis for a national emergency is built on fear mongering lies. There is no national security crisis at the border. Immigrants commit crimes at a lower rate than native-born Americans, the majority of drugs that cross the southern border are at legal ports of entry, and the vast majority of terrorists who enter the United States are caught at airports. The only crisis at the border is the humanitarian crisis of President Trump’s own making. First, there was the child separation policy. Then, there was metering, the turning away of migrants at legal ports of entry, and other efforts to roll back the legal asylum process. These measures have caused a backlog of migrants waiting in Mexico and a surge in US-based detention centers. Side note: Every single congressperson representing a border county does not approve of building a multi-billion dollar concrete wall that Trump promised Mexico would pay for.
McConnell, Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC), and the right-wing media support the move while some Republicans have furrowed their brows. Meanwhile, Democrats have called it an unconstitutional abuse of power and warned of the precedent it sets. Needless to say, keep an eye on this consequential story.
2…
This is only a partial version of our Rantt Rundown newsletter. To get the full newsletter breaking down the top 5 stories of the day in your inbox every weeknight, please subscribe below.
Rantt Media’s comprehensive articles source reporting from top news organizations, but they’re also built on brilliant analysis from our team. We are independently-owned and strive for quality, not clicks. But the only way to truly have a media for the people is for media to be funded by the people. We take pride in being reader-funded so that we are beholden to you, not corporate interests. If you like the work we do, please consider supporting us by signing up for a monthly subscription.
