If President Trump succeeds in declaring a national emergency, it would be the death knell of what remains of his credibility and any sense that he has stable judgment.
Sudden and genuine and true national emergencies are nonpartisan—and entirely nonpolitical—national crises that bring devastation. Nothing could be less about politics, much less partisanship, than a true emergency. The fact that the Democrats don’t believe the border wall is even an issue is worth noting.
The many months of dithering over this in Washington show the issue, by definition, not to be a genuine national emergency. What’s more, Trump had two years of congressional majority power to build his wall, and he signally and decisively failed to do it.
Hurricane Katrina was not cause for a national emergency. Neither was Hurricane Sandy. Yet this purely petty and partisan issue is to be declared an authentic national emergency?
Nothing else in Trump’s presidency would approach more nearly grounds for impeachment or use of the 25th Amendment as would the unstable judgment behind this petulant act, which is so disrespectful, reckless, and heedless to America’s orderly and democratic way of life.
James Adler
Cambridge
