Trump admin lawyers are meeting now to discuss declaring a national emergency to build wall

[Mrs. Overall]

Just reported on NBC:

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/immigration/trump-admin-lawyers-eye-national-emergency-pentagon-resources-build-wall-n954926

Administration lawyers are meeting to discuss whether Trump can declare a national emergency to build a border wall with Defense Department resources.

As the government shutdown drags on, lawyers from the White House, the Department of Homeland Security and the Pentagon are meeting to discuss whether President Donald Trump can declare a national emergency to deploy troops and Defense Department resources to build his border wall, according to two sources with knowledge of the discussions.

One of the sources, a senior administration official, said the White House has kept this option on the table for some time, but is now considering it more seriously.

"Depending on the severity of crisis, it’s always been an option. Now that things are getting worse, we are looking at how that could be operationalized and used to confront the crisis," the official said, speaking on the condition of anonymity.

[Eliot Rosewater]

1. America must react to this appropriately as in MASS unrest. White nationalism NOT acceptable

[Botany]

2. Please show me exactly what national emergency are we dealing with here.

There is none. End of story.

[nancy1942]

4. Trump is our national emergency.

[dalton99a]

7. It seems that current law gives him complete discretion:

Link to tweet

[trev]

3. This is Not. Good.

Executive orders currently on the books give the president almost unlimited power. If Trump should invoke those, we are fucked.

[Thekaspervote]

12. According to a republican congress person from OK.. even if he declares a ntl' emergency, it still

Goes back to congress for the funding. So no not so bad after all.

[trev]

14. I hope you're right.

But IMO I feel that the Republicans are aching for a reason to seize dictatorial powers.

[gratuitous]

5. One of Nixon's articles of impeachment was for abuse of power

The other two were for obstruction of justice and contempt of congress. A propos of nothing whatsoever.

[Aristus]

6. They can meet all they want.

Simply aquiring all of the privately-owned land for the wall will take years, maybe decades, of legal wrangling, and they'd still fail.

Yeah, the Trumpsters will line up around the block to service their lord and master. But the first eminent-domain order issued to a Republican landowner will take care of that...

[Grammy23]

8. So how long are we going to let this craziness go on?

Is there anything Congress can do to deal with this? We are at a crisis over this. trump announced this afternoon he has the right to force everyone’s hand on this by declaring a national emergency and use DoD funds to build the wall. If we sit still for this, it is over. OVER. Think about that for a minute.

[GusBob]

9. Wag that dog

create the crisis to create the solution

They want more than money they want power

They want to be Putin

[Me.]

10. Are They Vulnerable To Criminal Prosecution

if they advise him to go ahead and he does?

[dhill926]

11. They are descending into madness...

President Kurtz and the gang...

[honest.abe]

13. I was suspecting something like this.

Let them try and then let the courts decide.

[trev]

15. The courts belong to the Republicans.

I see no hope there.

[honest.abe]

16. I dont think so.

In a case like this most Judges will not side with a Dictator.

[trev]

17. I hope you're right.

But I'm afraid I don't share your optimism. Given Kavanaugh et al.

[honest.abe]

18. We don't need Bart.

I believe Roberts will be the swing vote in cases like this.