Trump’s dump this afternoon about his big announcement on the southern border and the government shutdown tomorrow (Saturday) has all the hallmarks of his reality teevee show career. Hype it big and leave ‘em guessing.
The only thing out there thus far to fill in the gaps is this bit from CBS news:
A senior administration official told CBS News Chief Washington Correspondent Major Garrett that Mr. Trump will present what the White House believes could be a deal to end the shutdown. The deal was largely influenced by talks between Vice President Mike Pence, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Trump son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner.
Some tea leaf reading ….
First, “believes could be a deal to end the shutdown.” Not the wall, the shutdown.
Second, “talks between Pence, McConnell, and Kushner.” Not any Democrats. Three GOPers who aren’t ignorant about how horribly the shutdown and the wall are currently polling in the country.
Put those two things together … and what does it look like?
First, it probably means no national emergency declaration. Certainly Pence and McConnell (and probably Kushner too) recognize that would be a political disaster. Like, one of the articles of impeachment if Trump does it.
Second, it looks like McConnell is willing to pull Trump’s ass out of the fire. McConnell was in the room without any Democrats precisely because he’s holding all the card right now on getting the government funding bills passed by the House through the Senate and on Trump’s desk. McConnell may have used these negotiations to finally got some assurances that Trump would sign government funding bills that get through the Senate — his repeatedly stated reason for not allowing them on the Senate floor to date.
Of course, there has to be some “stick” here against Democrats, so the Senate bills probably will include some kind of requirements about some funding or continuing negotiations on the hysteria over the southern border funding the wall, etc., etc. Which mean some negotiation with Schumer and Pelosi.
But the news that the Pence/McConnell/Kushner negotiations were over the “shutdown” is what makes the CBS reporting look like the end may possibly be here.
Of course, that depends entirely on Trump’s bruised ego and what Coulter and Limpbaugh has to say about everything.