There’s been a concerted effort by the pResident and his henchpeople to drag the military, over the objections of the Pentagon, the people, and the Constitution, down to the southern border to serve as props and justification for tRump’s fantasies.
It is starting to look as though the goal all along was to gain a sellable and legal rationale to bypass the legislature and build a wall against the will of Congress. Sending first the National Guard and then actual active-duty troops to “help” Border Patrol is a nasty attempt to get a foot in the door to accomplish what would be clearly illegal without military involvement.
It may end up being legally significant that the military installed some concertina wire in the short time they were there.
Why? Because it possibly establishes a precedent that they A: may be required to occasionally participate in support for domestic police actions in the area, and B: required more adequate fortifications of the border than they encountered when they arrived in order to carry out that (assumedly legal) task.
If those two factors are demonstrably within the Executive’s legal authority, then he may be able to survive a challenge to an emergency expenditure authorization for his wall in a conservative Supreme Court.
Now, of course this glaringly ignores the preponderance of reality. I have to say it that way, “the preponderance of reality” for the sake of time and sanity. The only point I will take the time to highlight is that there Is. No. Crisis. No matter how you slice the statistics and facts, there is NO need for immediate military action on our southern border.
TRump is going to crawl onto a stage somewhere next to the border tonight and claim otherwise… possibly even announce he is declaring a state of emergency and proceeding with construction. If he does that, I personally will see it as a huge win for Nancy Pelosi. It hands her fresh ammo for investigations and is a clear indication that tRump has no ability to negotiate with her whatsoever, and no clear path forward for any priorities that involve House participation.
If tRump sets aside negotiating for a spending bill and bypasses her with his illegal gambit Wall boondoggle, after making a shambles of the government and pretending to want to deal with Congress, it would give Nancy Pelosi EXACTLY what she needs to unleash the hounds of Hell on him. Total understanding of the pResident’s bad faith in execution of his duties, and utter clarity as to his disastrous inability to comprehend and prioritize.