Stephen Colbert and Trevor Noah think Republicans might rue Trump's 'insane' border emergency declaration

Stephen Colbert and Trevor Noah on Trump's emergency declaration
(Image credit: Screenshots/YouTube/The Daily Show, The Late Show)

Instead of $5.7 billion for a concrete border wall, President Trump is getting $1.375 billion for non-wall fencing in a spending bill Congress sent him Thursday evening. "The border wall: It's now official — neither Mexico nor Congress will pay for it," Trevor Noah said on Thursday's Daily Show. "So, like many of you after Valentine's Day, Trump is turning to Plan B. ... That's right, people. President Trump is finally declaring a national emergency at the border. Which is weird, because normally in an emergency, you don't spend months debating whether or not something is an emergency. Like, it's normally pretty clear."

"Now a lot of people are saying that this could backfire on Republicans," Noah said. "Because it sets a precedent: The next president can come in and declare a national emergency on anything: Climate change or gun violence — and that's if it's a Democrat. I mean, what if Mike Pence becomes president?" And yes, he had a hypothetical scenario for that, too.

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Peter Weber, The Week US

Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.