Could the GOP Erupt Into Civil War Over Trump’s Wall?

Let Civil War II begin!

I’m not talking about conservatives versus liberals versus whatever Republicans under the sway of Trumpism have mutated into (Hint: It looks a lot like big government liberals).

Take the liberals out of play, for the time being. The civil war currently brewing is between those smaller government, Coolidge/Buckley/Reagan conservatives, and the worshipful Trumpian toadies, who have confused the role of “president” with “king.”

There are precious few of the former, unfortunately, and far too many of the latter.

And speaking of the latter, South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham is warning that there will be civil war within the Republican party, should King Donnie not get his “emergency” wall.

Speaking in his home state on Monday, Graham approached the subject of the rift that could occur in the party, should the president move to go around Congress for his wall.

“It seems to me that he’s gonna have to go it alone, but there could be a war within the Republican Party over the wall,” Graham said.

Graham added that he would “stand with” Trump if he declares a national emergency to construct the U.S.-Mexico border wall and urged his Republican colleagues to “get behind the president” if he goes down that path.

“To any Republican who denies the president the ability to act as commander in chief, you’re going to create a real problem within the party,” Graham said.

Here’s the thing, the nation and our laws should come before any party.

Would Graham be singing this same tune if we were dealing with a Democrat president, or are presidents only “allowed” to be president if they’re Republican?

We know the answer to that.

This isn’t so much a warning as it is theater. Graham is the absolute worst example of big government partisans, that put personalities, no matter how corrupt, over the well-being of the nation and the rule of law.

Meanwhile, as Trump keeps threatening to declare an emergency, smart money says courts will stop him from snatching up funds earmarked to cover actual emergencies.

Emergencies are immediate needs. You don’t linger for weeks or months, threatening to call something an “emergency.” Either it is or it is not.

Someone else predicting Trump’s emergency wall declaration is pretty much dead in the water is Fox News legal analyst Andrew Napolitano.

According to Judge Napolitano, it’s not even so much the laughably delayed “emergency” declaration, but rather, Trump’s attempts to grab up private property to erect his insane project that will cause the courts to clamp down.

“I think the law is very clear and I think the President has been advised of it that if he signs an executive order declaring a national emergency and directing the military to spend money that has not been expressly appropriated for the wall or that has not been expressly appropriated for eminent domain– since much of the real estate where they want to build the wall is privately owned– I think it’s pretty clear that court will stop him from doing that,” Napolitano said.

The president has threatened to shut down the government again on February 15, in the event Congress doesn’t acquiesce and provide him the funds he’s asking for.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) says he has advised the president against declaring a nation emergency over the wall, stepping on the toes of Congress, in the meantime.

That, according to McConnell, is where the infighting would erupt.

Napolitano then offered something that I’ve been saying for a while.

Trump knows he’s not getting those funds. He knows the courts are going to slap down any efforts on his part to overstep his authority as an elected official, accountable to the citizens.

He knows it, but at least he can claim he “tried.”

Napolitano did say that declaring an emergency could provide Trump with a political win, since he would be able to tell his political base that he was building the wall.

“He might even be able to claim some measure of political victory if he signs the order,” Napolitano said.

Fox News host Jon Scott followed up with a clarification, asking if Trump would “win by losing” in that scenario.

“Yes, but I am almost certain he’ll lose,” Napolitano said. “The law is very clear.”

And the red caps will eat it up, without so much as a shade of doubt.