Schiff: Intel chiefs testimony may ‘undermine’ Trump’s ability to declare emergency for wall

House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) said Wednesday that new testimony from top U.S. intelligence officials could “undermine” President Trump’s ability to declare a national emergency for constructing a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border.

“The fact that none of the intel chiefs brought up a threat at the southern border as being one of the most pressing threats facing the country, that could be Exhibit A in a challenge to any kind of a declaration of a national emergency,” Schiff said on MSNBC, a day after Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats and CIA Director Gina Haspel testified before the Senate Intelligence Committee about global threats to the U.S.

The two officials discussed issues such as the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, China and Russia, among other things, during Tuesday’s hearing.

{mosads}Schiff argued that their testimony showed “that none of the intelligence agencies think” there is an “emergency” at the border, adding “both parties don’t think this is an emergency.”

“I think, if anything, it is going to undermine that legal case that the president may try to make, that hearing yesterday could be a central exhibit,” Schiff said.

Schiff suggests will use intel chiefs’ testimony if Trump tries national emergency card pic.twitter.com/XramYDqbk3

— TPM Livewire (@TPMLiveWire) January 30, 2019

Trump has promised since his 2016 campaign to build a border wall. During the recent partial government shutdown, which lasted a record 35 days, the president insisted on funding from Congress to build a wall.

He eventually signed a continuing resolution that temporarily reopened the government, without money for wall construction. 

Trump has floated the idea of declaring a national emergency if Congress can’t reach an agreement that provides wall funding. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) on Monday said Trump “must” take that step if lawmakers can’t reach a deal with the White House.

Rep. Justin Amash (R-Mich.) and Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) have both voiced opposition to using emergency powers as an option, with Rubio calling it a “terrible” idea.