Everywhere I go online, people are gleeful that Nancy Pelosi stood up to Donald Trump and won.
Guess what, dummies?
Have you ever watched a boxing match? Yes, Donald Trump got hit in the mouth.
And yes, on the judge's scorecards, Pelosi is ahead.
But don't think that the boxing match is over. I wish I could wave a magic wand and both Donald Trump and Nancy Pelosi would disappear into the ether, but that ain't gonna happen. I'm going to tell you what's going to happen and I haven't seen it written anywhere yet.
What's going on now is that Trump is going to talk to White House lawyers and sit quietly (for Trump) for 21 days. Pelosi and Schumer will take victory laps and not negotiate. And then in 3 weeks, Trump will take to Twitter and say 1 of 2 things:
National Emergency: Building the Wall
-or-
Executive Order: Building the Wall
If you've learned anything from The Apprentice, it's that Donald Trump is not playing the game, he's in charge of the game. He's not the one who gets fired, he's the one that does the firing. So, in Trump's mind, his re-election is on the line with that Wall, so that Wall's getting built. The President has wild cards that he can play in a showdown with Congress. The Speaker of the House does not.
Should Trump play the National Emergency or Executive Order cards? Oh, Lord no. But he can, and he will. Once he does, the media is going to go berserk. They won't be cheering "Trump Wins" but "Trump Cheated!"
Pelosi will ultimately lose because she has no leverage. Trump was getting pounded in opinion polls because the shutdown was seen as his fault. (It was.) But he can still circumvent the process by building the Wall without shutting down the government. What happens when Trump declares a National Emergency? Pelosi will get nothing for her Dreamers and will lose.
Who was Pelosi's biggest cheerleader in her victorious round? CNN, of course.
When Trump wins the next fight, CNN won't be cheering "Trump brought Pelosi to her knees," which goes back to the drumbeat of "how neutral is CNN?"
I would love to be wrong, but with Trump it's not about policy, per se, but self-preservation. If you told Donald Trump, 'you've lost this round, but it doesn't matter because you're going to get re-elected,' I guarantee you that he'd respond 'forget about that Wall.'
But now his political future is on the line, he knows he can't win 2020 without that Wall.
Back in 2015, Barack Obama used an Executive Order to change the name of the tallest mountain in North America from Mount McKinley to Denali. A seemingly innocuous and (monetarily) cheap move, Trump could potentially cite Executive Orders like that to build the wall. Same with a national emergency. Your definition of a national emergency and my definition of a national emergency may not be the same.
Do I think America should build a wall? Again, NO.
Last time I checked, I wasn't in charge. What does the guy in charge want?
He wants to continue to be in charge.
There are still ways Trump can win the Wall battle.
To Be Continued....
As the "scourge" of Trump continues across America, nearly a dozen candidates are oozing up from the political cesspool, almost 2 years in advance of the 2020 Presidential Election. Let me give you a few VERY EARLY opinions.
There's a rumor that Howard Schultz could run as an independent (possibly as a Libertarian.) I AM NOT COOL WITH THAT. I heard Howard Shultz described as the "liberal Donald Trump."
McAfee? I'm unsure whether that whole Belize Issue makes me want to vote for him, or not vote for him.
People I'm for sure not voting for in 2020:
Trump
H. Clinton
Sanders
Romney
Schultz
People I'm intrigued by?
Cuban
Amy Klobuchar
Everyone else is in a to be determined status because I STILL HAVE 2 F@#$ING YEARS TO DECIDE.
Note to the Media: Just to help you out, since you can't seem to tell. Ann Coulter isn't reporting on Donald Trump, she is GOADING HIM!
Note to Republicans: If Trump uses an Executive Order to build the Wall today, President Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is going to use an Executive Order to spend $10 TRILLION on Global Warming in 2030.