Trump Is Totally Lost on the Shutdown
Diverting disaster-relief money to build his wall would be hugely self-defeating.
No way out.
Photographer: Andrew Harrer/Pool/Getty Images
Just how lost is the White House in trying to avoid a humiliating defeat for President Donald Trump in the shutdown showdown? According to Chad Pergram of Fox News, it’s trying to divert disaster-relief funding — intended to cover wildfires in California and hurricanes in Florida, Puerto Rico and Texas — to build Trump’s border wall.
It’s hard to convey how self-defeating this would be. The Republican leader in the House, who Trump desperately needs to keep on board, is from California. Diverting money from his constituents to fund the president’s obsession is perhaps the best way to drive him away. Then there’s the Electoral College. No, Puerto Rico doesn’t get to vote, and California is long gone for Republicans. But Florida was one of the closest states for Trump in 2016; losing its 29 electoral votes would mean he’d have virtually no margin of error in the next election. And while he won Texas by a wider margin, Representative Beto O’Rourke’s impressive run for Senate last year suggests that the Lone Star state may be getting more competitive.