I knew this was coming when Trump backed down on the State of the Union Speech. Although politics is not a game, you can use game theory to predict results and determine next moves. And the fact is that Trump blinked first. Streets are watching. Everyone will remember this. The question is during the three weeks that the government is open, will Trump make good on his threat to declare a national emergency and build a wall without Congressional authorization?
President Donald Trump and congressional leaders have reached a deal to reopen the government for three weeks and end the longest U.S. funding lapse ever, the president announced Friday. In remarks at the White House, Trump said he hopes to sign the measure as soon as Friday, the 35th day of the partial shutdown. It would restart government operations through Feb. 15 — without the money he has demanded for his proposed border wall. Trump said he expects Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell will bring it to the Senate floor "immediately."
Both major parties will set up a conference committee to put together a Homeland Security Appropriations bill once the government reopens. However, Trump threatened to let the government shut down again — or declare a national emergency to bypass Congress — if lawmakers do not reach a border security deal he likes.
"We really have no choice but to build a powerful wall or steel barrier," the president said in the White House Rose Garden. "If we don't get a fair deal from Congress, the government will either shut down on February 15 again or I will use the powers afforded to me under the laws and the Constitution of the United States to address this emergency."
Good news for George Herbert Walker Bush: As of today, he is no longer the biggest wimp ever to serve as President of the United States.— Ann Coulter (@AnnCoulter) January 25, 2019
