Many Republicans — and even Fox News morning hosts — think President Trump would be making a big mistake by declaring a national emergency to get around Congress' refusal to give him money for his border wall. But the media personalities closest to Trump are encouraging him to go all in and find some way to thwart congressional Democrats and fund his wall. In an interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity on Thursday, Trump said he "most likely" would declare a national emergency, and Hannity suggested he use money allocated to the military for other construction projects.
Fox Business host Lou Dobbs, a trusted Trump confidante, urged him to just push House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (Calif.) and her fellow Democrats out of the way. Former Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) told Dobbs he thought Trump should use persuasion not a national emergency declaration, but Dobbs disagreed. "I think it's the only way forward here," he said. "Otherwise, there's not going to be a solution." Dobbs said Trump has to build the wall because he promised to and it will help him win re-election in 2020. "But I really believe that the way forward here is for him to declare a national emergency, and simply sweep aside the recalcitrant left in this country," he said. "They have obstructed, resisted, and subverted for far too long."
If that sounds a little authoritarian to you, you're not alone. "The only thing missing from this video is a call to round-up and arrest liberals," Boston Globe columnist Michael A. Cohen wrote on Twitter.
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Meanwhile, the government shutdown is now tied for the longest in U.S. history and will set a new record on Saturday.
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