I spoke to Daniel Dale of The Toronto Star about the ongoing shutdown, the President’s prime time address, and the limited remaining options for resolving the impasse:
He did not take the opportunity to declare a national emergency, as he has mused about doing. An emergency declaration could allow him to tap into potential funding sources for the wall without having to get the usual congressional authorization.
It would also be certain to be challenged in court, likely turning into a long legal battle without an immediate winner. But that, some observers said, may be the best possible outcome for Trump at this point.
“At the moment I think it’s less about getting the wall built and more about getting out of this jam without being seen as capitulating,” said Liam Donovan, a Republican strategist and a lobbyist.
Read the full piece here.