Merriam-Webster noted that lookups for emergency and national emergency spiked by 1,900% on February 14th, 2019.
In what is being described as an end-run around Congress, President Trump declared a national emergency in order to access funding to begin construction of new wall segments along the southern border. Neither Paul Ryan’s Republican-controlled Congress last session, nor Nancy Pelosi’s current Democratic-controlled Congress would agree to appropriate funding to build the wall. Whether it was because Trump’s campaign promise to build the wall was predicated on Mexico paying for it, or that security experts who have examined the issue have recommended more high-tech solutions like radar and drones, Trump was not able to sell his idea to Congress.
Trump’s answer: to declare a national emergency. However, neither the current state of affairs along the southern border (border crossings are at their lowest in 50 years), or even Trump’s own words during his announcement, “I didn’t need to do this, but I’d rather do it much faster” fit the dictionary definition of a national emergency. I do agree with Trump on one point, though, the US Supreme Court will ultimately decide if it was constitutional for him to have usurped Congress’ power to appropriate funding.
poliRhetoric 