What difference does it make if McConnell lets Trump use a few billion that was supposed to be spent elsewhere?" For that very reason, McConnell was adamant about his doubts regarding a national emergency declaration to get the wall money Trump said he needed. And so, political strategist McConnell won out over institutionalist McConnell. Consider if a Democratic president decides -- citing the precedent set by Trump -- to declare a national emergency to use previously allocated funds for other purposes to address the threats posed by climate change or guns in America? So the precedent the President is setting here is something that should be met with great unease and dismay by the Republicans."

Source: CNN February 14, 2019 22:05 UTC