He's holding his country and his party hostage in the belief he can secure some funding for a border wall, a strategy many Republicans on Capitol Hill now openly admit is doomed. Part of his anemic sales pitch to a skeptical American citizenry -- which overwhelmingly oppose his wall, based on surveys taken this week -- was a direct albeit weak appeal to the American people.
On Tuesday night, Trump used his first Oval Office address in an anemic attempt to sell his wall and demand American taxpayers foot the bill, notwithstanding he promised many times during the campaign that Mexico would pay for it. Another promise broken.
Dan Balz at the Washington Post wrote an excellent column (link here) in response to what many believe was Trump's failed stunt. He started by noting how past Presidents used the Oval Office address "to announce military action, to lay out major initiatives or to calm the nation’s nerves in times of stress." Trump did not do that. Instead, per Balz, he "chose the gravity of that venue for a far different reason Tuesday night — to try to create a sense of crisis in pursuit of an elusive campaign promise."
Trump is cornered now. He made grandiose promises during his campaign for a border wall. His hardcore conservative supporters connected with that and it became a signature issue. He doubled down on it in every one of his silly rallies, leading the audience in "build that wall" chants after bragging about how he was an expert in building walls. Now Trump is stuck and can't deliver squat. If he folds and agrees to a budget without wall, he sends the strong message that he lied repeatedly to his supporters.
Trump's out on this may be to declare a national emergency at the border and thus trigger wall funding from military sources. It would be a disgraceful end to the stalemate and one that almost certainly would warrant a legal battle and a likely court order to stop him. That may be what he wants to save face.
And by constantly threatening to declare a national emergency if he doesn't get his way legislatively undermines his whole claim of urgency, as Aaron Blake wisely noted in his column today (link here). He may be deliberately jeopardizing his wall so he can blame its failure on a federal judge.
This may be Trump's only choice short of total capitulation. George H. W. Bush famously said "read my lips -- no new taxes." And then he raised taxes. As a result of that capitulation, his approval numbers suffered badly and Republicans have never forgotten.
The bottom line is that Trump is in a lose-lose position now. His lies and empty promises are finally coming home to roost. Good. It's about time.
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