(CNN) — President Donald Trump on Friday vetoed legislation attempting to strike down his declaration of a national emergency at the southern border during an Oval Office event from the White House.
It is the first time in his two years in office that Trump has used his presidential veto power to block legislation and comes after a dozen Senate Republicans joined Democrats to rebuke Trump’s use of his national emergency power to bypass Congress and fund construction of a border wall.
Trump was surrounded at Friday’s event by officials from Customs and Border Protection as well as surviving family members of those who have loved ones killed by undocumented immigrants. Attorney General William Barr is also at the President’s veto event.
“I look forward to VETOING the just passed Democrat inspires Resolution which would OPEN BORDERS while increasing Crime, Drugs, and Trafficking in our Country,” Trump tweeted shortly after the Senate passed the resolution condemning Trump’s unilateral action. “I thank all of the Strong Republicans who voted to support Border Security and our desperately needed WALL!”
Twelve Republican senators banded together to deliver the forceful rebuke after expressing concerns that Trump’s use of the national emergency declaration as an end-run around Congress violates the separation of powers and sets a bad precedent that a would-be future Democratic president could follow to unilaterally drive their agenda.
The White House sought to pare back Republican defections leading up to the vote, with the President and White House aides making clear to Republican senators that a vote against Trump on this issue would have ramifications come re-election time.
Trump rejected entreaties from several Senate Republicans to agree to a compromise that would curtail his national emergency powers and instead framed the vote not as a matter of constitutional concerns, but rather as a litmus test on border security.
The approach — particularly the threats of re-election repercussions — stemmed defections from several Republicans up for re-election in 2020, but ultimately failed to stop the Senate from passing the resolution.
Trump tweeted about the political advantage he expects those who supported him will receive.
“I’d like to thank all of the Great Republican Senators who bravely voted for Strong Border Security and the WALL. This will help stop Crime, Human Trafficking, and Drugs entering our Country. Watch, when you get back to your State, they will LOVE you more than ever before!” Trump tweeted Friday.
Trump’s veto sends the resolution back to the US House of Representatives, which is expected to pick it up after the week-long congressional recess. The House is not expected to have the two-thirds of the chamber’s support needed to override the President’s veto.
