Eric Trump, the son of President Donald Trump, urged his father on Tuesday to declare a national emergency in order to secure funding for his border wall.
According to HuffPo, the president’s son voiced support for a national emergency while speaking with Sean Hannity of Fox News.
“I want him to declare an emergency,” Eric Trump said.
The Fox News host replied, “Oh, I think he will.”
President Trump reopened the government last Friday after a 35-day partial shutdown, the longest government shutdown in U.S. history. Now that Congress will not fund his desired border wall, Trump’s supporters have now pivoted to the idea of declaring a national emergency. The president has threatened to shut down the government again come February 15 if Congress sends him another bill without border wall funding. In declaring a national emergency, military construction funds would be redirected for the wall.
“If we don’t get a fair deal from Congress, the government will either shut down on Feb. 15 again or I will use the powers afforded to me under the laws and the Constitution of the United States to address this emergency,” President Trump said.
On Tuesday, Eric Trump said that Americans will support his father declaring a national emergency so long as Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) refuse to “negotiate something that’s fair.”
“Honestly, if they don’t, declare the emergency and build the wall with the United States military because that’s what people in this country want,” Eric Trump told Hannity. “And then redouble your efforts on legal immigration, get great people in this country because that’s what America wants and that’s what America needs.”
Reactions from Republicans on the national emergency option has been somewhat mixed. Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) on Sunday called it “a terrible idea.”
“I hope he doesn’t do it,” Rubio told NBC’s “Meet the Press.” “It’s just not a good precedent to set in terms of action. It doesn’t mean that I don’t want border security ― I do. I just think that’s the wrong way to achieve it.”
“It doesn’t mean that I don’t want border security,” Rubio continued. “I do. I just think that’s the wrong way to achieve it. It doesn’t provide certainty. And you could very well wind up in sort of a theatric victory at the front end and then not getting it done.”
“I think the best way to do it is to have a law passed that funds border security so we know it’s going to happen.”
According to CNBC, Americans and the GOP are largely split on the idea of President Trump circumventing Congress regarding the border wall.
Seventy-one percent of Republicans say Trump should use an emergency declaration. In contrast, 93 percent of Democrats and 66 percent of independents oppose the action.
One poll earlier this month taken during the shutdown found a slight majority of voters did not want Trump to bypass Congress. Thirty-six percent of respondents to a Politico/Morning Consult poll supported an emergency declaration, while 51 percent opposed the move.
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-NC) has encouraged President Trump to act if Congress does not pull through. “If White House and Congress fail to reach a deal then President @realDonaldTrump must act through emergency powers to build wall/barrier,” Graham tweeted this week.