GOP senator: ‘I would hate to see’ Trump declare national emergency over border

Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) on Sunday said he would “hate” to see President Trump declare a national emergency in order to build a wall on the southern U.S. border.

“I would hate to see it,” he said on CNN’s “State of the Union” when pressed on the president’s threat to end a stalemate over border wall funding using his emergency powers.

{mosads}”Using that act would be, in this instance, would be a far larger act than has ever occurred in the past,” Johnson said. “I’d prefer not, primarily because if we do that, it’s going to go to court and the wall won’t get built. I want to see this wall get built. I want to keep pressure on Democrats to come to the negotiating table in good faith and fund what they have supported in the past.”

A partial government shutdown, which is now in its fourth week, began because Trump and Democrats were unable to agree on a government spending bill that Trump wants to include border wall funding.

Trump has floated the possibility of using an emergency declaration to end the deadlock and secure funding for the wall, but most Republicans have been reluctant to support the idea. Both the White House and Republican leaders have acknowledged such a use of presidential powers would likely end up challenged in court.

Trump appeared to back off the idea late last week, saying he would “rather not” do it.