1 House Votes To Block Trump's Border Declaration
The Democratic-led House has moved to block President Trump's declaration of a national emergency at the southern border. A resolution of disapproval easily passed the House in a 245-182 vote – and while a number of Republicans crossed the aisle in this run (13, to be specific), the resolution faces an uncertain fate in the Republican-controlled Senate. Democrats called it an unconstitutional power grab and an attempted end run around Congress. Republicans (most of them) argued that there is a legitimate emergency at the U.S.-Mexican border. What’s at stake? As we’ve told you before, under the executive action, Trump hopes to divert Defense Department funds to build his massive border wall. As for the GOP Reps who defected, Michigan’s Justin Amash said it wasn’t even a close call. “This was not a difficult one,” he tells CNN. “This was a very clear case of executive overreach.” Separately via Twitter, Amash added, “Congress cannot grant the president by statute the authority to assume legislative powers at will, turning the executive branch into a legislative branch whenever the president uses magic words.”
2 Cohen To Claim Trump Broke Law While In Office
As President Trump's former personal lawyer Michael Cohen prepares to testify publicly on Capitol Hill today, the mood can best be summed up in two words: Game on. According to reports, Cohen spent yesterday’s time in the House apologizing for lying to Congress. But today? Cohen will reportedly accuse the President of criminal activities while in office. According to reports, Cohen will detail alleged criminal conduct related to a hush money payment to former porn star Stormy Daniels. Word is that he’ll also present documentation that he was reimbursed by Trump in several installments throughout 2017 for the payment. Along the way, Cohen will allege that Trump is “racist,” a “conman” and a “cheat.”.Of course, it’s worth mentioning that Cohen has pleaded guilty and will serve prison time for breaking campaign finance laws related to the payment to Daniels. He’s also pleaded guilty to lying to Congress, but Maine Republican Susan Collins says we’ll see "a very different guy" than who first testified in 2017. Cohen will begin serving a three-year prison sentence in May.
3 Trump And Kim Roll Into Hanoi
President Trump and North Korea’s Kim Jong Un are both in Hanoi, but the reality of the result is anyone’s guess as the summit gets rolling today. Still, Mr. Trump says that North Korea could be an economic powerhouse…if only it gives up its nuclear weapons. Later taking to Twitter, Trump noted that Vietnam is thriving and that North Korea could very easily do the same thing. “Vietnam is thriving like few places on earth. North Korea would be the same, and very quickly, if it would denuclearize,” he writes. “The potential is AWESOME, a great opportunity, like almost none other in history, for my friend Kim Jong Un. We will know fairly soon - Very Interesting!" He also slammed Democrats for giving their opinions about what he should do in his meeting with the diminutive dictator. “The Democrats should stop talking about what I should do with North Korea,” he adds. “And ask themselves instead why they didn’t do “it” during eight years of the Obama Administration?”