Stephen Miller defends President Trump's decision to declare a national emergency on the southern border, , saying the commander-in-chief is on solid constitutional ground because Congress gave presidents the authority to use executive power decades ago.

“They passed a law specifically saying the president could have this authority. It’s in the plain statute,” Miller told host Chris Wallace on “Fox News Sunday.” “That’s the decision that Congress made and if people don’t like that they can address it.”




Stephen Miller tried to yell over Chris Wallace hitting him with some pretty tough questions about the national emergency declaration, and it didn’t quite go over well.



The question comes down to whether Trump is using the national emergency powers of the executive properly or if he’s abusing them. Wallace challenges Miller to name one other national emergency that arose from Congress denying one of the president’s policies. Miller dodges the question and yells a lot, but doesn’t really answer it.

The other issue is whether the effects from illegal immigration are actually a national emergency or not. Miller argues that more people are dying from illegal drugs being imported than any other threat. Wallace argues back that most of those do not come through the border but through ports of entry. But I think the essential detail missing here is that cutting off the supply doesn’t lessen the demand. It’s not as if people will leave happy blessed lives if opioids aren’t available from down south. The free market has a way of supplying horrible drugs to anyone who wants it.

All in all, Miller makes some good points. I think Wallace out-argues him though, even if Miller yells much louder. Which is how we measure rhetorical victory of course.