After agreeing to a budget bill that doesn't include complete funding for his border wall, President Donald Trump disclosed his intention to declare a national state of emergency, citing unmitigated illegal immigration.
Illegal border crossings are at their lowest in over a decade and the vast majority of undocumented immigrants don't use the Southern border to enter the country, so the move to call a national emergency has the Republican party divided, while Democrats remain opposed.
However, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) challenged the President to do his worst, telling reporters that he would be setting a precedent of declaring a national emergency to achieve a campaign promise—allowing Democrats to do the same the next time one occupies the White House.
"Want to talk about a national emergency? Let's talk about today, the one-year anniversary of another manifestation of the epidemic of gun violence in America," Pelosi said, citing the massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School last year that left 17 dead. "That's a national emergency. Why don't you declare that emergency, Mr. President? I wish you would."
She continued:
"A Democratic president can declare a national emergencies as well. The precedent that the president is setting here is something that should be met with great unease and dismay by the Republicans."
Watch below:
Her warning had many Democrats longing for a President with better values who could declare emergencies down the line.
While the President's contrived emergency may be revolting to both sides of the aisle, Democrats are pleased to see Pelosi remind everyone why she's Speaker.
Representing the only Democrat-dominated branch of the government, many on the left see Pelosi as a vital check on Trump's power.
They had praise for her in spades.
Once again, Pelosi isn't blinking in a staring contest with Trump.
