McConnell admits he’s not sure Trump’s fake ‘emergency’ is even legal

If you still weren’t convinced that fealty to Trump is more important for Republicans than “conservative values,” look no further than Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.

The Kentucky Republican — who has capitulated to Trump at every turn — said this week that he isn’t even sure whether it’s legal for Trump declare a bogus “national emergency” on the southern border in order to build his wall.

Yet that isn’t stopping McConnell from supporting Trump’s declaration, and even raising money off it.

“I haven’t reached a total conclusion,” McConnell — who received a law degree from the University of Kentucky — told The Hill newspaper on Tuesday.

McConnell said Senate Republicans had a “fulsome discussion” on the legality of Trump’s emergency declaration, which Trump used to go over Congress’ head in an effort to secure funding for his pointless and unpopular border wall.

Presidents have the ability to declare national emergencies. Many national emergency declarations have resulted in sanctions on countries that are committing mass atrocities against their people, or that have tried to threaten or attack the United States.

However, Trump’s emergency declaration is different: He’s using it to ignore Congress’ constitutionally granted power of the purse, and instead raid already-appropriated federal dollars to spend on what he wants — a racist border wall that will neither help Americans nor address any kind of real emergency.

McConnell was initially opposed to Trump’s emergency declaration idea. However, McConnell caved and announced he was backing the emergency declaration, in an attempt to appease Trump while also keeping him from recklessly shutting down the government again.

McConnell even tried to raise money off the declaration — sending a fundraising email referencing his support for Trump’s national emergency just one day after expressing doubt on its legality.

McConnell fundraising off national emergency:

"The President is keeping his promise and I’m standing shoulder to shoulder with him to get the job done … Make an immediate donation to show support for strong border security before the deadline passes!"

— Burgess Everett (@burgessev) February 27, 2019

“The President is keeping his promise and I’m standing shoulder to shoulder with him to get the job done,” McConnell wrote in the email, according to Politico’s Burgess Everett. “Make an immediate donation to show support for strong border security before the deadline passes!”

The House, which is controlled by Democrats, already voted to repeal Trump’s fake emergency. All but 13 House Republicans voted to allow the emergency to stand — ignoring their “conservative” principles on limited government to stand by Trump’s abuse of executive power.

McConnell will now be forced to put the repeal resolution on the floor. And it will put GOP Senators like McConnell and Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) — who have long touted their support of the Constitution — on the spot to either stand up for their principles or stick with Trump.

And if the last two years have been any guide, Trump always trumps GOP lawmakers’ morals and principles in the end.

Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.