Regardless of warnings from conservative Republicans about the dangers of declaring a state of emergency, President Donald Trump would do just that on Feb. 15 if Congress fails to appropriate money to build a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border, the White House tells Newsmax.
“I don’t think anybody in the country can argue the fact that there is a real problem at our border,” White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders told us, “It needs to be fixed and the president is going to do what it takes to address it.”
Sanders’ remarks came Monday, a day after Sen. Roy Blunt, R.-Mo., put a voice and a face to the discomfort many conservative Republicans have about Trump’s strong hints that he will declare a state of emergency Feb. 15.
“I happen to agree with the president on barriers at the border and border security as an important first step,” Blunt told “Fox News Sunday,” “But there might be a future president that I don’t agree with that [sic] thinks something else is an emergency.”
On Monday, the House told Newsmax that regardless of what Blunt and other conservatives think, Trump would move ahead with his planned state of emergency next month unless Congress gave him the wall funding.
“Certainly the president listens to members of Congress, as well as constituents across the country,” said Sanders.
But, she quickly added, “The president's number one duty and the number one responsibility he sees as commander in chief is protecting the American people.”
Underscoring Trump’s much-stated belief that “the crisis at the border [is] real,” the president’s top spokesman said “I don’t think anybody in the country can argue the fact that there is a real problem at our border. It needs to be fixed and the president is going to do what it takes to address it.”
John Gizzi is chief political columnist and White House correspondent for Newsmax. For more of his reports, Go Here Now.
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