Trump’s News Conference Created New Minefields

First Read: “Just how many problems did President Trump create for himself — and others — in Friday’s 50-minute disjointed and flat-out bizarre statement and news conference, when he announced his national emergency to build his border wall?”

Let us count the ways:

1. He arguably undermined the legal basis for declaring a national emergency.
2. He said it was a “lie” that the preponderance of illegal drugs crossing the border do so at ports of entry — when the DEA reported in 2018 that it was the most common method for transnational criminal organizations.
3. He said Japanese Prime Minister Abe recommended him for the Nobel Peace Prize for his work on North Korea, which has created an uproar in Japan.
4. He claimed Obama was “close to starting a big war with North Korea,” which former Obama White House aides deny.
5. After signing criminal-justice reform into law, he appeared to endorse China’s policy of giving the death penalty to drug dealers.

Chris Cillizza picks “the 47 most outrageous lines” from Trump’s national emergency declaration.

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