For $8B maybe Trump could buy the Great Wall of China and put that on the border. At lease we would be getting a tourist attraction for our money, instead of a shameful boondoggle for his buddies.
I'm ready for Trump to actually accomplish something other than another expensive weekly trip to Mar-a-Lago.
3
@Kristin
There are many who consider President Trump's two Supreme Court Associate Justice appointees to have been his most significant accomplishments.
He has also appointed thirty-four judges for the United States Courts of Appeals and fifty-three judges for the United States District Courts.
I think everyone would like more to get done, but with a divided Congress further judicial appointments may be the president's principal domestic accomplishments during the next two years.
1
@BayArea101
Chilling statistics.
Typical real estate con man.
Work not even started and the bills gone up.
Mexico is going to be ticked off with this hustler.
The article says Trump is asking $8.6 billion in new funding for the border wall, but the published FY 2020 Budget says $5 billion for construction of the border wall."
https://games-cdn.washingtonpost.com/notes/prod/default/documents/eb65f9a5-16a8-4dc9-aafb-4a9e6fc0a83c/note/253ca00b-f02b-47b3-935a-6d1882e9e436.pdf
1
I agree with immigration reform and treating our fellow human beings in the proper way. Paying for the schooling and healthcare that many citizens cannot afford is a different matter. Oh, and if they commit a crime in NY the taxpayer must pay the bill for the prison term with perks. Cheaper for a one way flight back, no?
1
Trump is calling for significant cuts in domestic programs at the expense of sizable a increase in military spending.
How does this make America great? How does this improve our country's infrastructure, better educate students, help the indigent, infirm, and those in dire need of medical services, and keep us competitive in science, technology, engineering, math and R&D?
Truth be told, if empty promises and cheap rhetoric was electricity, Donald Trump would be 1 million watts.
5
Where is the infrastructure spending Trump promised, or the beautiful healthcare we were all going to love? Instead it's more of the same; military spending increases which benefit a bunch of contractors, and tax cuts for the rich. The US does not need to spend more on the military, but to fix the sorry shape of the countries roads and expensive and dysfunctional healthcare system. DC is a case in point - the roads are crumbling, the metro is not in great shape yet it's the nations capital. You would think that a stable genius would have better priorities.
58
@RichardL ~
Buying neat macho weapons is a LOT more fun than fixing a small bridge in rural Iowa.
5
@RichardL Not to mention an exploding opioid problem in this country which will not be solved by a wall.
1
At first, Pres Trump promised that Mexico would pay for the wall. Having been elected in part because of this promise, he later reneged. Next, he moved to have Americans pay for the wall but failed to pass such legislation during the two years the GOP had control of both the House and the Senate.
Now, he blames the Democrats.
He is simply has failed to grasp political reality.
He will have his chance to explain during the 2020 campaign as to why his wall promise never became a success. Of course, he won't tell the truth!
16
@Michael Anasakta
And every time donnie blames the democrats for why his wall funding hasn’t happened, the democrats just need to play the million plus times he declared and his make America haters chant....”MEXICO will pay for the wall”.
His followers are so off the rails that they don’t know the truth because they believe fox and friends.
3
Barriers make sense in some areas along the border. There are about 700 miles of barriers in existence and a 1900 mile plus southern border. In other areas they would be a hindrance to essentially decades of free movement, local economies, educational opportunities, and family ties.
It is more likely a 1900 mile plus border “wall” would be a waste of money and locally disruptive, especially to US land owners subjected to Eminent Domain.
The current administration has effectively created a humanitarian crisis at the border by bottlenecking those seeking asylum - a legal right - and has claimed a national security crisis. The latter has been challenged by recent House Oversight Committee hearings with Homeland Security that demonstrated Homeland Security, while admitting the majority of “illegal” immigrants come through airports and drugs come through Ports and points of Entry, are ignoring their own data and repeating over and over and over the administration’s line of “Build the Wall” sans the campaign pledge by President Trump that Mexico will pay for it. US taxpayers will be paying for it.
One can only ask of Congress to rediscover rational, reasonable thought with respect to irrational and unreasonable demands, and inhuman acts, by the current administration.
6
Seriously, who cares about the wall budget other than his base? The request is going nowhere, and it's in the courts. If Trump wants to shut down the government again, let him. Next time around it will be even more damaging to Republicans. With elections approaching the Senators up for reelection will absolutely override Trump's veto to save their own skins.
Trump's phony budget has nowhere to go.
8
@Martin At least some of the current volume of illegal immigration into the US can be attributed to the expectation that a wall will be built and a wall will make it harder to illegally enter this country. That will be a deterrent.
1
@Margo - "... the current volume of illegal immigration into the US can be attributed to the expectation that a wall will be built..."
So the emergency declaration is going to make things worse until a wall is completed? Then again tunnels also take time to build. Thanks Trump. You've once again "saved" the day.
1
Understand the anti-Trump sentiments posted hourly. However, what is the solution proposed by Dems for border security? To cut the budget. Yup, that's their proposal. And they want to change the laws; deny detention to everyone that enters if they have a kid in the group. They don't have to be related to the kid, just have the kid with them. All get released into the US with a court date to return and discuss asylum. Really? Sounds like a further invite to child trafficking, but the Dems can't seem to see that fact.
I'm told we are not for open borders or child trafficking. But then every action taken by Dems contradicts that claim. Asylum is to be given to people just because "they want a better life." "It's xenophobic to enforce our immigration laws."
I'm not stupid. This is about bringing in new, young, diverse voters for the Dem party. Now the Dem party wants 16 year olds to vote too!! Yes, let' just let everyone vote by mail as often as they like, and the fly over states be damned. CA allows illegal immigrants to vote, just let everyone. Heck, let the rest of the globe vote if they like, after all, they may soon be citizens if they choose. The 'new' Dem party is not the party I grew up with and can support.
Again, what are the Dems doing for border security?
2
@Ma
Turn off fox and friends and you might find out what the Dems would like to do IF they had the votes to do it to fix immigration and shore up and strengthen our borders.
NOT JUST OUR SOUTHERN ONES.
Why is it only the southern border, don’t republicans want all borders secure?
What are the republicans doing about ALL our border security????
1
The Democrats and Republicans agree to $5 Billion more for border security in February. Why would anyone say Democrats want a cut in the budget? Aside from being false, it doesn’t make a $30B wall less dumb.
1
Who says we left Neverland?
And you believed this demagogue was going to start acting like a normal rationale human being because...??!!
2
DOA!!!!!!
It's clear mr trump brought his moral bankruptcy with him to the
White House, even converting life-long-moral-high-grounders like Mike Pence. But who could have guessed that casinos and land deals were just a warm up? The ultimate prize? Bankrupting a country. He's well on his way.
3
It's all so simple. Mr. Trump wants to spend more money, and certainly not his own money. He milked the US banking community dry decades ago, he has been milking the dirty money investors from all over the world who are desperately trying to launder their American dollars, and he plans to milk the American economy too. Maybe he can file to have the entire US declared bankrupt?
@wentwest No, he didn’t milk the US banking community dry. They shut him off. That’s why he went to Russia for money. Vlad laundered money thru Deutsche Bank using Carrot Top and that’s what will ultimately put him in jail.
Red meat for the base.
Divide the country and profit off of it.
5
I always defer the responsibility of judging the needs of the nation up to the Congress "Of The People", comprised of many people whose aggregate wisdom is a far better analytical judge of what is best for our nation over the limits of a single mind. It's called Democracy that an authoritarian Trump is contrary to. I call it; the wisdom of the masses, like a supercomputer network parallel processing.
The majority of the Congress has already conferred and decided a wall is not in our best interests and I agree.
Trump is merely electioneering and satisfying his sadistic lust for fighting, in this case against fellow Americans. It's just like the Mafia going after their own.
2
You know, I can't really understand this. Forget impeachment, why isn't this man in jail? Because he's a celebrity? I just don't get it anymore. If this is what our country has come down to God help us.
Years ago, when the Soviet Union existed, they said the difference between the Soviet Union and the United States was that in the Soviet Union everything was against the law and in the United States, nothing was against the law. We've proved it with this guy Trump.
3
He's doing this because his base loves the idea of defying Nancy Pelosi.
For Trump, undocumented immigrants mean cheap, servile labor for his golf courses.
4
Maybe Democrats in Congress should give Trump his border wall funding with th stipulation that he would concentrate on that and stay out of mischief elsewhere in the world.
1
"I am winning on the Border".
Ok, ok, your re-election campaign is powered by
"Paid-in-the-USA Wall". We get it, already.
2
Better that the wall that donnie promised Mexico would pay for, his supporters and the rest of the country would be very happy instead to see the BIG BEAUTIFUL HEALTH CARE, better than the ACA.
WHERE IS THAT PROMISE???????
That would get him a second term guaranteed!!!
2
Thank-you President Trump. Keep your foot on the necks of the Dems who only want border security that doesn't work(i.e., so they can grow their base by allowing illegal immigrants to vote).
2
@pete
Yes, let all those Canadians and others come in from the North boarders too and register as democrats and vote vote vote!!!!!
Northerners WOULD NEVER vote republican.
3
@pete
On eve of his election, Candidate Trump promised tremendous numbers coming through big, fat, beautiful gates. What prevents them from overstaying their temporary foreign worker visas?
2017: ADDITIONAL 15,000 temporary foreign worker visas
2018: ADDITIONAL 60,000 temporary foreign worker visas
In Dec 2018, Ms Nielson trotted out her procedure to give greencards to Indian / Chinese Master Degree & PHD holders vs the legislated Lottery System. The Good Job replacements are coming; and the number will increase to 195,000 annual from current 85,000 annual, if Congress passes Republican Reforms.
The 1986 Amnesty that Reagan signed -- precluded criminal and civil laws that punish future employers. Republicans serve the exploiting employers; and wage earners stupidly believe in Trump's "white nationist wall" drama.
1
I'm sick of this guy. It is not up to him to ruin the country like a Trump Tower fiasco or an apprentice episode. I'm really sick of this guy. So sad.
2
Israel already has a wall to keep people out. With Trump and Netanyahu's so buddy-buddy I'm sure there would be a position for Trump in Netanyahu's government. Israel's wall and Trump are a match made in....
1
How is the president "defying Congress"? He has his role in our constitutional system. He is welcome to propose whatever he wants, and is under no obligation to take orders from Congress or anyone. And he is not the Commander-in-Chief of Congress--as some "news" outlets imply. Also, the president's authority is at a low ebb whenever he tries to act contrary to the expressed will of Congress or to spend money Congress has not authorized (see Justice Jackson's opinion in Youngstown Tube).
2
Among his many problems is that he just doesn't learn very quickly, if at all.
He's failed to get much done about the Wall, not surprising because it wasn't needed according to most local people and governments along the border. He's failed completely to get Mexico to pay for it, not surprising either, but he still claims they'll pay.
He's failed to get much else done, other than a tax break for the rich and a couple conservative judges. Yet he keeps hurting his chances of getting anything done by trash-tweeting everyone, and by proposing absurd ideas like the wall that only pander to his cheering base.
International trade, N Korea, ISIS, health care,... The list is so long.
For 6 of the Obama years, GOP was the Party of "No", stagnating progress on many important issues. For the first 2 years of Trump they've continued as a block, but still little has been accomplished because the pres can't put forward sensible ideas or stop dissing everybody.
Trump's presidency is already infamous for its lack of accomplishments. But he is accomplishing some things:
- The longest shutdown ever.
- Working toward the most shutdowns ever.
- Most lies ever.
- Getting the incalcitrant GOP to start splitting up.
But Donnie never learns; he just keeps on tweeting.
4
Dear Leader, Mr. Trump, enjoyed a willing and pliant GOP majority in both legislative chambers for the first two years of his presidency. So, given that, one would believe the GOP would have caved and given Trump his money for a wall.
Nope. No money. So, perhaps the urgency is not what we are led to believe?
Second, Trump made many grandiose promises, yet, the wall stands out first and foremost. I do recall that from day one he would provide us with a better and less expensive healthcare plan than "Obamacare", our prescription drugs would be lower in cost and the military would be extricated from endless wars as ISIS will be defeated within 30 days.
Yup. The wall is nothing more than a distraction, red meat, for the benefit of his supporters. And those supporters have succumbed to his con artistry-again.
9
The only walls that Trump should be concerned about are the ones that will eventually surround him in a New York State prison.
Even a Pence pardon can not protect him from those.
10
Hey Trump team, if you want to do something that would really endanger Democrats, make this level effort on infrastructure. What an accomplishment that would be for your reelection campaign, and many Dems would be on board.
When you dig your heels in like this, it makes me think one term was plenty and you're done with this hassle.
6
Congress and the press only enable Trump by allowing him to get us to focus on the Wall. It distracts from the developments in the ongoing investigations, as well as his failures to follow through on promises to address infrastructure and healthcare, and his destructive policies in environmental and financial regulation.
Equally importantly, they continue to promote a simplistic view that immigration reform is about a wall and border security, rather than an entire failed immigration system that needs radical restructuring and reform. If the democrats want to get on top of this, they need to insist on redefining the issue by refusing to respond to any one-dimensional. proposals concerning the Wall and border security, rather responding with a consistent message that any solution must address the entire immigration system. In that context, they could offer compromises on border security issues, including barriers on the border, as part of comprehensive immigration reform.
8
If you look at what Trump has achieved thus far it involves taking things away, like backing out of TPT, Paris Climate Change Accord, and the Iran Nuclear agreement. Other things like justice reform were done by others that he took credit for. The wall is only thing he can call his own and he needs it. The sad thing is that it is probably the only thing he understands, build a wall, a great intellectual achievement.
6
@DSS If you want a "great intellectual achievement" from the POTUS don't elect someone as intellectually (and morally) bankrupt as Donald J. Trump.
@RLW
Tell that to the republicans in the Electoral College who "Appointed" this carnival barker.
We The People voted for Mrs Clinton by almost 3,000,000 more ballots.
Take those 3 million folks and put them in a line.
That line will be over a thousand miles long.
Something is gravely wrong in the "Land of The Free"
1
While I think Trump’s obsession with the wall is silly, I wish that similar opposition would focus upon other areas of wasteful and absurd spending.
The Pentagon’s budget woukd be a great place to start. Much of it does not reflect the realities of modern warfare. For example, modern air defenses make manned fighters are obsolete. Surface battle ships are seen by satelltes and will sunk,winin minutes of a conflcit
1
Trump has been instigating fights for years. I just yawn now. He's just a troubled man looking for attention in big ways to satisfy his abnormal need to be loved as he uses hatred to gain that love. It's really a pitiful sight.
I trust the Congress to know better what is needed or not needed and to serve the will of the nation. I don't see a need for a wall as unarmed immigrants seeking freedom is no threat or crisis and building a wall would then alienate the more potent southern nation's governments. We don't want to make our neighbors our enemies, do we?
6
Trump on Birther Overdrive, also known as B.O. since is premise just stinks.
2
While the NYTimes keeps on attacking Trump, the Democratic Party is being taken over by radicals with agendas that advocate socialism, Islamic militancy, and antisemitism. These radicals are far more dangerous to the Democratic Party than Donald Trump. Liberals are looking for dangers in wrong places.
1
As the whole world is watching, the Republican Party crumbled into narcissistic form of selfish government that would make a Catholic charity cheese sandwich into a criminal offense. There's nothing humane or caring about the Republican Party and the resident at Pennsylvania Avenue.
I vote for progress. I vote democrat.
Fiscally conservative and socially liberal.
2
@Gennady Laughable comment, at best.
2
@Dan I agree, I was just picking myself off the floor from laughing so hard when I read your comment.
When is Trump going get tired of being a loser?
His chances of getting his wall are ZERO.
2
Just a rerun of another trumpsky dog and pony show - if the wall got built - it would turn out not to be tall enough - its making a big deal of the issue and not the wall itself - all for his small minded base.
3
More futility due to POTUS campaigning for office for 3rd year running.
5
The only wall, that Trump needs to concern himself with, is the Vietnam memorial wall. One of those engraved names is most likely on there due to his cowardice. Some "poor" citizen was made to go in this fake bone spurs place.
US Army veteran 1965-67
27
@Getreal I agree 100%.
US Army 1966-1968
3
He didn’t get the $5.7B he originally shut down the government for. So the “math genius” that he is, demands $8B! He’s looking for another excuse to shut down the government and create another crisis. He “suggests” making cuts on other government programs to fund “HIS” wall. So, how about giving the country the breakdown of WHERE you plan on taking the funds from, and letting the citizens decide if it’s acceptable. He won’t, because he most likely is thinking he’ll get the funds from making cuts in SS, Medicare, Medicaid, federal assistance. He’s already losing the Midwest because of his trade wars and tariffs.
6
Keep working on electing Dems across the board in 2020. No other way to stop this nonsense.
15
If he "project" is 700 miles, tossing in what already exists would still leave hundreds of open miles, and Trump promised to seal the entire border with a really neat wall.
1
As you know, words are important. When you use the word
"signature" to describe his wall you elevate it the status of ObamaCare. Do you really intend to do that?
2
He'll shut down the government, start a recession, and then blame the Democrats for it.
And this will be swallowed by his case without question.
What happened to my country?
6
Just like Trump's projects that went bankrupt, he is ever so slowly but deliberately bankrupting the United States for the temporary increase in economic growth and adulation for his narcissistic corrupt soul.
12
@Robert Haberman
Bankrupting in both the economic and moral sense.
Walls don't work, but that doesn't matter to someone who doesn't read history (or read anything actually, Donald!).
3
@Alan Burnham Now, now. Many wall supporters will point to the walls erected in Israel that, in theory, contains those pesky Palestinians. However, those wall supporters who point to Israel's walls fail to mention that Israel uses real bullets to further contain the people on the wrong side of the wall.
"We hope he learned his lesson."
No. He is obviously incapable of learning. Get those report cards. Have Fordham release his transcripts or use his playbook and cut off any and all federal funding.
The headline for this article should read: Trump again attempts to steamroll Congress, destroy the Constitution and build a wall most Americans oppose.
7
Looks like another diversion tactic as the Mueller report looms on the horizon. That, and Trump refuses to be a "loser."
1
Time for trump to put America first and not his ego.
2
It might be time for The New York Times to have a weekly Trump report touching on everything that is an actual update on Trump's actions, norm-breakers and potential misdeeds, while leaving daily blurbs to at most a paragraph. We need more thoughtful narrative weaving that can be read in a half hour instead of a steady drip of 2-5 minute pieces that are each fragments.
2
donnie needs to remember who he promised was going to pay for this wall of his at those all white make America hate rallies.
MEXICO.
And if he can’t, then let Congress remind him PUBLICLY on cable news 24/7.
5
With all their hypocrisy about deficits and debt (severely reining both in for Democrats and letting it all just go wild under trump) the Republicans are now simply caricatures of themselves, cartoon versions of exaggeration and compliance to a literally crazy president.
3
The picture accompanying this article is such a beautifully graphic representation of Individual-1. He looks like he’s on his last lie.
3
What happened to his promise to the MAGA crowd that Mexico would pay for the wall? I guess he knows that his cultish base has the attention span of a gnat and won’t notice.
5
@J. The narrative and chants have been changed to "finish that wall" in order to distract and deflect that Mexico will not pay for that wall.
And it is working.
Trump also said Mexico will indirectly pay for the wall through tariffs while failing to state who ultimately pays the tariffs...Attention span of a gnat is far too generous.
4
Where is Mueller's report? It needs to come out to stop the spoiled brat in the White House. Even if it is suppressed by his personal pick for Attorney General, hopefully it will open people's eyes to the monstrosity we have for a president. Why is he still allowed to run our government like a sideshow? He needs to go back to his make believe celebrity world and stop ruining our precious country!
4
Hmmmm ....after the recent Manafort sentencing debacle, I am much less optimistic the Mueller report will carry any weight
Our federal government continues to tax and spend. Our politicians love stealing money for votes. What exactly are we getting from all these discretionary programs Democrats are defending?
@d What does the federal government do with all that money? Fund the military and the votes it provides the Republican Party, Social Security and Medicare which provides for both parties, the national transportation system and all the interstate highways and not much is left for anything else. I was told schools weren’t teaching Civics anymore and your question seems to bear that out.
9
A few years ago, during the reign of Dubya, before he moved back to the US, apparently sensing change was coming, I enjoyed some spirited debates with an American; Brian from Illinois. He was a self proclaimed libertarian, often shocking my socialist sensibilities with what I considered to be entertainingly looney lectures on everything right wingers seem to cherish. One of those things was an incongruous wall between the US and Mexico to keep out immigrants - something I found deliciously ironic because we were both immigrants to Canada. Now, a president has this as the centrepiece to his domestic policy, and I am chastened by Brian’s earnestness.
It all makes sense now, Brian, wherever you are. There was already a market for Trump spread across the Americas before he even thought of running. Right winged unhinged had its protagonists, like Brian, who could spiritedly defend the indefensible because it benefitted his austere world view which, in all respects, was designed to benefit himself the most. No immigrants, no taxes, no Muslims, nuke the Middle East, Dubya Optimus Maximus, etc.
All the Trump campaign did was to, quite cleverly, understand that Brians existed far and wide and appeal to them. We have them too, every nation does. That’s why his vaunted base is so pervasive; this is why he so desires this crazy, symbolic, wall. Trump’s idea of legacy is statesmanship of the bitterest ideologies endemic to the world but currently manifest in America...Fear the base.
2
@Marcus Brant
Republicans who call themselves libertarians like Brian are only 25% of our electorate. (they are not real libertarians BTW who do not support military intervention, the drug war or public education or a border wall - they believe in absolute minimal government) . 80% of Republicans support Trump so that is 80% of 25%.
Unfortunately due to Russian interference in our election and the electoral college and Mitch McConnell, these minority unhinged followers rule our country. This is not how democracy works and it isn't.
Budget proposals are meaningless. I don't remember when Congress last adopted a budget, and even longer since it adopted one proposed by the President. Like many before it, this budget proposal is DOA.
2
Agree, but why the headline.....DEFYING congress. Absurd
1
Of course! Even more money for an unnecessary ineffective expansion of the border wall for a manufactured crisis concerning penniless desperate families is far more important than food, health, education, environment and social programs. Far more important than infrastructure spending.
Federal tax dollars come from the people. We pay for government. It is not Trump's money to petulantly spend as he desires or as demanded by Ann Coulter and or his craven minority base and that is the reason that, according to the constitution, Congress appropriates the money.
We need to restore our democracy, government of the people and for the people. Senator McConnell - are you listening?
15
We need SUVS and Pickups to manage the ruts and potholes. Walls?
It worries me that Trump will do virtually anything to try to distract away from his and his families many misdeeds including possible crimes. Maybe Trump doesn’t realize that Putin is manipulating him and I think without Putin’s interference in the 2016 election Hilary would be the POTUS.
18
@Javaforce What happened in 2016 is history. It is indicative of how easily people are swayed by lies even in the 21st century. We need to look forward to solving the breach in a systems of government that have been exposed. Look forward not back.
6
@Lionel Broderick ~
Yes, let's move forward but we should never forget the travesty of 2016.
""Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it."" ~George Santayana
4
So, this is Trump's "How Do I Get the Press and the Liberals to Chase Their Tails This Week" blurb for the second week of March. For those with short memories, this is the week that Manafort will be sentenced (again), a week when people continue to wait for Mueller's Report, the week after Cohen sued him for unpaid attorney fees (you have to love the irony of that one!), the week after 81 individuals and organizations were served with Congressional Requests designed to examine almost every aspect of Donald J and Trump Org.
Why do we let ourselves run merrily down every rabbit hole he digs in the White House garden? His Budget Request is just that; Congress works out a budget and sends it to the President to approve or disapprove. He can request that Congress establish a new position in the White House to be paid for out of Congressional funds, say that of First Daughter. That does not mean he will get it or that it is worthy of any media attention at all.
32
@The Lone Protester
Unfortunately, we can't afford to ignore this. McConnell had said after the tax cuts for the wealthy and corporations that it would be paid for by cuts to social programs like social security and medicare. It has been part of his and Paul Ryan's grand scheme.
McConnell has wielded and abused his considerable power. To ignore this is to let Mitch McConnell fly under the radar until the next government shut down when he throws up his scaly hands, insists it isn't him and enables Trump - again.
8
@Deborah
McConnell is more dangerous than Trump, has been for years and will be until he is out of there.
I am not saying "ignore the thought". I am saying do not get so worked up about something over which Trump has no control that you no longer see the forest.
6
@The Lone Protester
Yes, exactly. EVERY president's budget is DOA. The budget for Congress to determine. The media keeps falling for his obfuscation every time. Lucy (Peanuts) and her latest football.
4
"Defying Congress, Trump Plans to Renew Fight for Border Wall Funding"
This is a misleading headline. DJT is making his annual budget request to Congress so of course he is going to ask for more Wall funding.
How is THAT DEFYING congress?
4
@MB It's more like "Trolling Congress".
"Defying Congress" was more appropriate to the shut down.
"Breaking the Law" was more appropriate for the misappropriation under the bogus emergerncy declaration.
2
@MB
The government was shut down over border wall money. Trump defied Congress. Congress refused to appropriate it. They represent the people who have clearly said we do not want to pay for more border wall. Trump manufactured a crisis in order to bypass Congress and took funds from the military. Trump defied Congress.
Now Trump is insisting not only on even more money for border wall expansion (not border security) but also for them to appropriate the money he (unconstitutionally) took from the military and is threatening another government shut down if he doesn't get his way.
I call that defying Congress.
By your definition, Obama defied congress, Bush defied congress, Clinton defied congress, Bush defied congress, Reagan defied congress, Carter defied congress, etc, etc, etc.
Nonsense
This is simply the latest example of how this President views his role, the role of Congress and the role of the judiciary.
The United States is a privately held corporation owned by the Trump family. As such, it is essentially beholden to no one. There is no board of directors, no shareholders (other than the family), no oversight.
Congress and the judiciary? They are the worker bees who carry out the orders and decrees of the CEO. Very rarely, someone in either branch will object, but, they’re ignored or fired. They’re like bothersome flies.
In all seriousness, doesn’t this President and his family behave as though this Nation is his own fiefdom?
33
My god the rage over a budget proposal? Really?
Even Obama’s budget requests asked for stuff he knew he wouldn’t get
Calm down snowflake
Larry Kudlow's economic advice is questionable at best. Why would anyone listen to him about immigration? His comments were for an audience of one. "Individual one" to be more precise.
13
If the wall is so important why didn't donnie and the GOP controlled congress fund it in the two years they had control?
Because they don't want the wall. They want the issue. It is akin to the hare taking a nap during the race then complain about not winning.
Also - all this noise is distracting us from defunding election security so donnie can contest it and try to stay in office until he is crowned King.
51
@Jonathan Jaffe
You know that yet still support Democratic leaders stonewalling Trump on the Wall? The optics of another budget request getting complete resistance from the Dems for barriers they previously supported will crush you in 2020. Why do you think its part of this new proposal? You already know the answer but back up the decision of your leaders anyway? Then you are to blame as much as they are when you lose again in 2020.
Still waiting for the "best healthcare plan ever" that Trump promised. Still waiting for Trump to balance the budget like he promised. Still waiting to fix our infrastructure like Trump promised. What does his base think about all of these broken promises? Does his base think at all?
44
@susan Don't hold yo breath! And enjoy paying added taxes this April, thanks to the Trump Tax Scam!
Republicans designed their TRILLION$ tax bill to INCREASE in 2020, AFTER November 3, 2020 election.
For you, not big business or the rich.
3
His base watch Fox News and believe the things Trump says....so , they think that Trump has kept all or most of his promises and continues to get them their wall ! They don’t care to deal with reality, they just believe Trump.
7
Instead of people digging in on posturing, I wish we could do an honest inventory of our national strengths and weaknesses, then spend our budget accordingly.
A pie in the sky wish, I know.
6
Of course Larry Kudlow would remind us about the "paramount importance" of border security: he's the director of the National Economic Council.
In other news, the directors of the CDC, FDA, EPA, National Space Council, White House Office of Digital Strategy, the Patent and Trademark Office, and every other Trump political appointee have made it clear that border security is their number one priority.
Thank goodness we don't have to worry whether they will be doing the jobs they were appointed to.
14
Time for Trump to start talking about infrastructure. It needs repair. Time to take off the stupid baseball cap, the act is old. Even his fans are getting sick of it and are defecting quietly behind his back. Time to stop the clown show.
30
How many slaps to the puss does Trump require for a teaching moment? Several apparently. Happily, Congress is ready to continue the lessons.
10
Remember the party of "NO", when Obama was President of the United States....?
21
Trump knows he can't get this funding. He just wants to keep his idiotic wall front and center for his base going into 2020.
22
Well, I guess our roads and bridges repairs and reconstruction can wait because trump doesn't have to drive on those roads or over those bridges. The good news for trump is that the weapons manufacturers are getting more money. Then he probably feels he can divert that money for his pet projects. I'm over 70 and by far, trump is the worse president in my lifetime. Shame on the republicans, they have abandoned their country in its time of real need.
85
“..., his wall..”
Kudlow stated, as Schumer and Pelosi have been referring to the wall, as 45’s.
I thought it was a crisis, and it’s America’s wall.
Sounds like a personal matter as far as 45 is concerned.
17
What would it take for Congress members, all of them, republicans included, to show some dignity, and resolve, and stop abusive Trump from trampling on the Legislative?
13
Morals and a backbone?
29
@manfred marcus Get out the vote or expect 4 more years of the same, plus the certain knowledge of run-away unstoppable global warming, in which earth becomes unlivable.
https://www.livescience.com/59693-could-earth-turn-into-venus.html
1
@manfred marcus
Congress is stepping up. It's McConnell and the Republican Senate that is enabling Trump.
What would it take? (Besides re-education about morality and democracy and our constitution they claim to love so much) - Votes. Votes in an election unsullied by foreign intervention and where the popular vote winner is the one that wins the election.
The minority Republicans in this country already have out sized power in the Senate with 2 Senators from each state regardless of population and they have abused that power by subverting the Senate to the executive branch.
Republicans are now only 25% of voters. The talking heads forget this when they crow that 80% of Republicans support Trump - that is 80% of 25% and a minority of our country and yet they control our country.
They hate Democrats. They don't know why, but they do. They think Democrats and "liberals" will ruin this country. They don't know why, but they do. This is not the educated class. This is the howling minority class who vote against their own best interests because they hate Democrats. This has been cultivated.
Democracy is supposed to be majority rule. We need to restore our democracy in order to restore sanity in government. The majority of the American people are better than Trump and his followers.
2
Everyone who has bit of brains knows he is doing on purpose to stir his base up. Remember this man is in this only for himself, his things and his ratings. Go Dems, Resist Persist and Vote!
17
The WALL is Donald's bone, he'll will hold onto this growling with all the ferocity of the bully that he is on red meat issues. Give him $8 billion and he'll demand $10 million. Now till Nov 2020, that WALL and all those illegals streaming across our southern border will be his front and center campaign issue, and the outcome in 2020 will hinge on the Democrats response.
4
@Gretna Bear: Agree, the Wall as Thing is not important for Trump. It's the Wall as Thing to Fight Over that matters.
My own opinion is that even if the Wall were finished by 2020 and Trump were to be re-elected, he'd fight for more funding for it in every budget through 2024.
5
Same thing I’ve said. The more he gets, the more he’ll demand. The old saying, “give him an inch, he’ll take a foot.” Since he’s gotten away with his game of shutting down the government and declare a national emergency whenever he wants, even though “he didn’t NEED to do it.”
8
@Gretna Bear Trump rants about immigrants is a distraction, so voters don't notice their tax increase this year (scheduled to increase again AFTER November 3, 2020 election), erosion of civil liberties, loss of parks and other public resources, destruction of a last pristine wilderness the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and its wildlife, internet and communications policy, failed economic policy that takes away jobs, almost imperceptible increase in global warming effects, etcetahah
Republicans seem to hope voters will focus on the danger of caged and desperate immigrants and not notice Trump machinations and scandals.
6
You didn't get your wall. Period. Full stop. End of sentence. All the tantrums and hissy fits in the world are not going to get you it. (Nor is breaking the Constitution). Nice try!
17
Couldn’t beat Ted Cruz, someone even met Texas Republicans don’t really like, yet he is running for president? I guess we are now at the point anything me can run. If our dog could meet the age requirement I suppose he could run.
Wrong story, Tex.
3
@Thomas Smith
Uh...wrong place for this comment.....
1
" He's a real nowhere man
sitting in his nowhere land
making all his nowhere plans
for nobody ".
Lennon/McCartney, 1965.
64
@Phyliss Dalmatian: Touché! Perfect comment!
6
@Phyliss Dalmatian And he relies on "The Fool On The Hill" McConnell.
Day after day,
alone on a hill
a man with a foolish grin is sitting perfectly still
nobody seems to notice
they know that he's just a fool
they don't like him
the fool on the hlll
12
@Phyliss Dalmatian. Perfectly applicable!!!!!
2
Yet another misappropriation of our money - the taxes we citizens pay that finance the government - by the political abuser-in-chief to pay for his political ego trip while diminishing social services depended on by the people he is supposed to be serving. Truth: the only people Trump serves are himself, his family and a few sycophants and uber-wealthy friends who benefit from his reign for whatever special-interest reason they espouse. The rest of us are either his tools (the spineless Republicans in Congress or his deluded base) or his obstacles (everyone else), needing to be either cast aside or worn down until we acquiesce to his narcissistic whims.
It is long past time to remove this questionably sane would-be emperor by any legal means possible and as quickly as possible. The survival of our country and the world require that.
2
There will be no fight in Congress. Trump will get nothing!
3
You don't detail that the cuts to domestic programs include slashing welfare and cuts to the EPA. The Republican creed is: the starving and diseased poor need to die, it's God's Way; and pollution today, pollution tomorrow, pollution forever, it's the American Way.
28
The Wall" is a Trump distraction intend to bury the news of Trump's crimes and rally the haters that hear his racist dog whistles.
It is a wall that he beleives will politically shield him from the walls of justice that are closing in on him and his criminal enterprise. It will not.
14
Why don't Donnie the Lesser, Ivanka the Messer and Eric the Faker have the Trump Organization build the wall as a gift to the American people?
And then see if they can get Mexico to pay for it.
18
Massive spending on the wall isn't throwing money that could be spent on roads, bridges, public transit, schools and healthcare away. Rather constructing a wall is giving public money away to contractors and their investors who stand to gain plenty by building it. It's yet another gift of taxpayer money harvested from the middle class and then handed to the rich buddies of the Republican party. It constitutes quite a winning political proposition for the president, irrespective of any impact it could have on Mexicans and immigration, right in line with the moronic Republican tax giveaway.
10
Here comes another shutdown.. Also, if the wall is being built, why hasn't anyone seen it? Why hasn't Trump gone there to boast how big it is? And how did he get to that amount?First it's $5.6 now its 8.6? Something is wrong here.
2
The Times and other news sources continuing coverage of every issue as though both sides are equal is one of the reasons the Trump became President and Trump remains President.
Yes pretending that there is something that might be described as ‘national emergency’ at the US southern border by some people sounds like balanced new coverage, but it’s not. It’s a decision to confer some legitimacy on literally whatever the President declares to be truth today because he’s the President.
As long as the media helps legitimatize this administration’s delusions, illusions and outright lies as something worth reporting as different perspectives, partisan divides and alternative facts rather than outrageous propaganda attacks designed to divide and distract America, the media, and this newspaper in particular have failed in their purposes.
11
45 certainly has boosted manufacturing.
Manufacturing crises, and s lot of them, appears on top of his list.
Good job 45.
10
How does cutting domestic programs and increasing military spending "make America great again?"
14
Trump has made it painfully obvious that the Wall is paramount in his bid for reelection no matter the cost for the US taxpayers. We have students that are leaving college and starting their adult lives with massive college debts. We have a medical system that is causing seniors and underemployed taxpayers to make difficult choices about medical care vs. living expenses. There are many more pressing issue then a wall that was supposed to be paid for by Mexico. If Trump wants to hang his reelection hopes on funding the Wall then so be it. We need to show him on election day 2020 just how wrong he is.
39
So finally President Trump could be telling the truth about whom will pay for the wall. The American taxpayers will pay for it and not Mexico. $8.6 billions will be the cost.
16
You're wrong. The $8.6 is only the retainer, in legalese.
Does anybody think Mr. Trump will accept his budget being ignored? This is his budget and he expects to get his budget. He'll give lip service to Congress and the Constitution, but he is going to spend the money the way he told Congress in his budget.
If Congress allows Mr. Trump to proceed with his state of emergency, then Congress is basically telling him he can do whatever he wants going forward.
22
@Rebecca Bully tactics work in some business situations - but will they work on the U.S. Congress?
1
Regretfully, Donald J. Trump views his role in the Oval Office as a high stakes season of Survivor. Trump and his policy makers at FOX News are having a grand time throwing out anything that will cause a stir and get Trump the headlines of the day. That's all Trump is interested in. He is having fun watching everyone chase their tails while he dismantles the American system of governance and loots.
53
Also, I've performed Autopsies on many, many Bodies that appeared healthier. Just saying.
22
Lost in all this posturing is the fact that the president sends a budget request, but the house actually makes the budget. Presidential budgets have no basis in reality on either side.
30
@Mike
I doubt that Trump knows this. He probably thinks that his budget is the one that counts...after all, it's his and he is the only thing that matters.
3
Once again, no real interest in actually constructing a wall - just a fight to please the minions. This move merely keeps “the fight” in the headlines for 2020.
21
Like on earlier occasion this time also the Congress should strongly oppose the ransome demand ($8.6/3.6billion) of Trump that he is regularly asking for every now and then. Congress should even hold Trump accounted for the diversion of military funds that he has already mafe towards the wall building. The Congress as the co-equal branch of the government and also constitutionally empowered to control the purse should assert its unique oversight authority and call Trump's wall related bluff once and for all.
23
Trump must be seething internally. Not getting his way after throwing a temper tantrum (gov. shutdown) like he did as a child and still not getting his way must be terribly frustrating to him.
He must be aware that without his wall to appease his base he has little or no chance of getting elected again, and that would put him in a very difficult position of not being able to pardon his kids when they are prosecuted for misc. malfeasants.
I wonder if he even cares?
37
@USMC1954
Sure he cares, but only about Donald J. Trump PERIOD
3
Congressional Harassment. That's what this is, pure and simple. Trump has no clue how to govern, and he is surrounded by a gang of spineless sycophants who will do anything for him. If he had strong support people in his administration and strong Republican leaders in Congress, they would point out the many errors in his ways and show him alternative measures he can take to lead our great nation in the right direction. Instead, he has Jared, Ivanka, and FOX News. Sad.
99
@Larry
Don't forget creepy Stephen Miller.
4
@Larry u forgot kudlow and Hassett.
2
@Larry From Trump's frame of reference, he isn't making errors. You proceed from the assumption that he is trying to "do the right thing" for America. He isn't. He's a con man, a criminal, looking ou for Donald Trump first, his family second, and maybe cronies - at least as long as he doesn't need to throw them under the bus to save himself. His kids are to him as he was to his own father: acolytes of criminality. Jared is a kindred spirit, and fit right in with the Trumps having learned criminality from his own convicted father.
Anything he does that benefits America is by luck, or it's something he doesn't care about so why not? And if whatever it is gets in the way, he'll sabotage that benefit, too. He can't take good advice from truly well-intentioned help because that advice assumes he's really trying to "Make America Great Again". He's not. He's trying to Make America Great for Amorality, and there are too many GOP folks in Washington who are okay with that, and have been for a while even before the Trump era.
If Trump's border intentions were honest, he would not have been willing to avoid his shutdown by signing a bipartisan bill with no Wall, before the far right got on his case. I mean, he really needed to be reminded about what is supposedly his signature promise? Does he have Alzheimer's? And why not now be just as adamant about Mexico paying for it?
2
Now, it begins, Trump will go after Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security to get funding for his wall. And, if he does not get it; he will shut the government down on 1 October, this time denying people, on Social Security, their benefits, as well as put tens of thousands out of work. Finally, if we are no in a recession, by then, we will certainly be in one, if he shuts the government down again.
Talk about having a Napoleon Complex.
94
@Nick Metrowsky
Social Security has nothing to do with the deficit. It has its own account which is legally separate from the Treasury. It has its own tax base and has never borrowed a dime in its entire history.
8
@LMJr Wow. Where have you been. Just about every President or Congress has been "borrowing" from SS since LBJ. More so in the last couple decades.
https://www.quora.com/Has-any-president-ever-borrowed-money-from-social-security
11
@Nick Metrowsky
What a sad state of affairs.
Now with another ridiculous money request for "his wall", we can shortly expect the House to once again reject the proposal.
Now, "the fun" will begin with the usual threats to shut down the government, withhold funds from various key social projects, aim at Medicare and probably Social Security plus anything else he can get his hands on .
If he didn't have enough around wimps, around he might be told that he is going about the entire wrong..since Trump has no idea on how government is run.
What a sad state of affairs for America.
10
Is the 8.6B all for a physical barrier ("the wall") or is part of it for technology, staffing, other equipment, etc?
7
@Rosie Henik
If you are asking Trump, why do you think he has a clue or even understands your question? He does not care if he ever gets his wall; he just wants to keep the base fired up.
2
Trump is viewed as a man who does what he has to do for his family and to protect America from invasion. He is viewed as single minded and loyal to the causes his supporters most value. If he had to do some illegal things, well, the ends justify the means. Sometimes, in life, you have to make some decisions that upset some people, but as long as you have your priorities straight, namely, supporting your family and family business, God and country, then you can sing, "I did it my way" with pride. Trump's doubling down on the values his supporters most admire in him is the only thing he can do: keep after the scapegoat so the supporters can't accuse him of flip flopping on the issues, for only a woman, in their economy, has the right to change her mind.
5
This is more political posturing by the president to his base that he hasn’t forgotten his signature campaign promise to them. There is no emergency on the southwest border and there are no caravans of asylum-seekers who want to change the demographics of America.
Any sane politician would move on to other issues after an embarrassing legislative defeat but this president is determined to make his border wall a national referendum in 2020.
A good sign for the country is that the president isn’t taking Ann Coulter’s bait anymore the way he did in December which is why the government was shut down for over a month. Maybe he’s capable of learning his lessons after all.
2
So this is the new math on our current Democracy.
The Democrats need to get their act together to defeat this guy, or we are in for a rough ride. I am terrified by the cluster of candidates emerging for 2020. This is right out of the Trump playbook - divide the majority into subgroups and knock them down one by one (or just watch them knock themselves out).
For the Democrats to beat this guy we need to find a few good choices and stick them together in a President/Vice President ticket quickly. We have got to find a majority or we are in for 4 more years of this mess.
Majority should be simple math, but this guy knows how to mess it up. We need to get back to the basics to defend democratic government.
44
@Jim Hedleston,
I agree, every candidate for the Presidency should, as part of their appeal to voters, pick a Vice Presidential partner at the very start of the campaigning; I want to know ahead of time with whom they will partner before I chose them.
1
@Jim Hedleston Dems need to pick a viable candidate, and after primaries UNITE behind one candidate.
In the meantime, get out the vote!
5
@Jim Hedleston
Quickly is NOT the answer. The Democrats basically ran one candidate in 2016 (with Bernie as a chaser) and look where that got them. The Reps had a field of over a dozen in the beginning and by the end the strongest candidate - albeit the least qualified - survived. In the end, better to take the time to carefully vet them all. Worst case would be to rally around a ticket now and have something damaging surface that torpedoes the candidacy. And someone, somewhere, somehow will always find something questionable to disrupt the campaign.
6
How much is Trump budgeting to mitigate or investigate ways to better prepare for the costs to come from the effects of Climate Change?
How about Congress so far since 2016?
It seems Trump has got his Wall after all and it's a really big one.
Which is of course is the huge and continuing Wall of Silence coming from Government in regards to any attempt to recognise or approach the subject of Climate Change since Trump got elected.
8
Is that an AR-15 in the lower right of the lead photo? Do his supporters take them into rallies now?
3
@Charlie Samuels - I don't think so. I have a hunch that this was a show-and-tell for CBP. The Secret Service doesn't let anyone else have guns at presidential events, which caused a minor snit ahead of the 2016 Republican national convention in Cleveland, among those that wanted to be armed in case Canadians were to invade. Canada's right across the lake you know, with no walls or barbed wire to stop boats coming across.
4
He couldn't force Congress to pay his $5.7 billion ransom by shutting down the government. He couldn't get Congress to approve his "national emergency" so he could violate the Constitution's " separation of powers " and steal it. So, now he's raised the ante by another $3 billion in what is clearly a political plot to his base for 2020 as, in the beltway vernacular, it is clearly "Dead On Arrival."
16
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/05/us/border-crossing-increase.html?
Is there still a good argument against a wall? Ever read The Times?
Plus, why are we not taking Mexico to task for letting these people sneak into their country to traverse it to come to our border and annoy us?
5
@MIKEinNYC - From the article you cite: "President Trump has used the escalating numbers to justify his plan to build an expanded wall along the 1,900-mile border with Mexico. But a wall would do little to slow migration, most immigration analysts say..."
6
@MIKEinNYC The 'record number' are not illegals, but desperate refugee asylum-seekers. You know, like the Jewish refugees from Hitler whom the U.S. turned away in 1939. A bill to allow some thousands of Jewish children asylum in the U.S. didn't pass. Congress knew that many Americans didn't care if all those kids were murdered in Europe. People didn't want their taxes to pay to support those kids. They complained that refugees would take American jobs. Etc.
Sound familiar?
Sure, let's do it again. Send refugees, including kids, back to suffer & perhaps die. Again. Yay. Make America Guilty Again.
Political, economic and climate instability is causing the mass migration to our southern border. Trump’s budget proposal fails to adequately address any of these issues. It also does nothing to address the issues the super majority of Americans care about like driving down the costs of health care, prescription drugs, and education, and does nothing to address climate change which is threatening our stability, economy and the livability of the planet. Reporters must continue to press these issues with the entrenched and willfully ignorant GOP.
28
Insanity Is Doing the Same Thing Over and Over Again and Expecting Different Results.
Albert Einstein
13
I hope this latest proves, of many proofs provided by this challenging presidency, how critical opposition is and that the GOP cannot be counted on to push for what is in the interest of the American people, the majority at least. I hope this challenging President proves yet again how important it is for citizens to vote, to be informed and involved. And I hope the media, the part of it involved with facts and truth, is relentless in reporting that. This is not a time to run to the center to appease. It's a time for education about the consequences of this presidency and non- involvement.
55
@Potter
And I hope that this encourages the Democrats to start focussing on policy, not personalities. Every negative word or description that can be applied to Donald J. Trump has been. The focus needs to be on his impact on peoples' daily lives: The absence of budget sense, of infrastructure projects (other than the most useless wall in history), court packing appointments thanks to Enabler Mitch, the absence of ethics (cronyism and nepotism are but two buzz words), and all of the other good-sounding promises he made to get elected and then neglected because his base did not get in a tizzy about them. Trump is not the ball, getting America back on track again is.
17
The budget reflects policies of those who want to maintain the status quo-those with the vested interests of financial security, property, and social membership. It neglects the needs of the elderly, ill, and the small non-represented voices. It is immoral to spend billions on a boondoggle of a wall to keep others out and neglect those in our backyard.
58