President Trump is back to flirting with ways to hold the nation hostage in order to fulfill campaign promises at the border. This time, instead of shutting down the government, he’s bent on closing the border if he doesn’t get what he wants.
Congress must get together and immediately eliminate the loopholes at the Border! If no action, Border, or large sections of Border, will close. This is a National Emergency!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 3, 2019
This is a terrible idea. It would dramatically raise prices of everything from avocados to car parts, along with everything else traded across the border. It would shut down meetings, travel, business deals, and visits with family members. It would result in serious economic consequences in both countries, damage diplomatic ties and cause chaos.
It also won’t have the intended effect.
As Trump should have learned after shutting down the government in a futile attempt to squeeze Congress of money for his wall, lawmakers aren’t easily bullied into bending to the president’s will.
The shutdown didn’t get Congress to sign off on the $5.7 billion he wanted for the southern border and it didn’t bring about agreement on immigration. Instead, the U.S. economy took a hit and the blame for economic loss and problems of a prolonged government shutdown fell firmly on Trump’s shoulders.
[Also read: Sarah Sanders: Democrats leaving Trump ‘no choice’ in Mexico border closure dispute]
Closing the border would be a similar attempt to govern by taking the economy hostage, and it would play out in much the same way.
It won’t change the minds of congressional Democrats on immigration policy and it isn’t going to win the president any support for hardline immigration policies. Even worse for Trump, this time even his staunch ally, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., has already made clear that he thinks closing the border is a terrible idea and one he’s not willing to support.
That means that once again, the blame would fall firmly on Trump’s shoulders. And this time, Trump is courting an even harsher rebuke from his own party.
