Mostly, what Trump is about is keeping the spotlight on himself. Keeping shit stirred up and driving the headlines. And nowadays, distracting from the Mueller investigation and other lawsuits.
On Thursday Trump was said to be consulting with lawyers over declaring a national emergency to appropriate money for the border wall – which would allow him to bypass Democrats in Congress.
He claimed his lawyers had told him such a declaration would hold up to legal scrutiny “100%”.
“I have the absolute right to declare a national emergency,” Trump said on Thursday.
“I haven’t done it yet, I may do it. If this doesn’t work out, probably I will do it. I would almost say definitely.”
President Trump on Friday threw cold water on the idea of immediately declaring a national emergency to build a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border, reversing days of signals that he might soon declare the emergency amid a protracted standoff with Democrats over a partial shutdown of the federal government.
"What we're not looking to do right now is national emergency," he said Friday afternoon, surrounded by law enforcement officials at a White House roundtable. “I’m not going to do it so fast.”
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As of early Friday afternoon, there were no signs of serious negotiations underway, and leaders of both chambers announced no plans to meet before Monday.
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The House broke for the weekend Friday, all but ensuring that the partial government shutdown would become the longest in U.S. history.
The Democratic-led House held its final votes of the week Friday, including on a measure to ensure that federal workers who are furloughed receive back pay once the government reopens. The bill, which passed the Senate on Thursday, now goes to Trump for his signature.
The House also passed another bill that would reopen more shuttered government departments — but it was already declared dead on arrival in the GOP-controlled Senate because of a veto threat from Trump.
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The bill to ensure workers receive back pay passed 411 to 7. All those who opposed it were Republicans.
[Nancy] Pelosi told reporters that she expects the government to reopen if Trump declares a national emergency.
“Well, I think that would be his purpose,” she said. “Well, I guess his purpose is to build a wall. But remember this about the wall: This isn’t a wall between Mexico and the United States.”
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“This is a wall between his failures of his administration, problems that he might have with the Mueller [investigation], people leaving his Cabinet in dismay and disgrace,” Pelosi said. “That’s the wall he’s trying to build between public opinion and what is going on. And so this is his big diversion, and he’s a master of diversion.”
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