US President Donald Trump on Friday admitted that he “didn’t need to” declare a national emergency for his long-promised border wall, and merely wanted to “do it much faster” to please his political base.
A number of legal experts — including George Conway, husband of top Trump adviser Kellyanne Conway — immediately noted on Twitter that those words could easily be used against him in the likely legal battle over his questionable claim to a national emergency.
Trump openly acknowledged the possibility during his remarks Friday, predicting that he would lose in the lower courts.
It would not be the first time Trump’s words have been used against him in court.
The ACLU, which has frequently sued Trump and his administration, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Omar Jadwat, the director of ACLU’s Immigrant Rights Project, urged the president to “keep talking” in a tweet.
Following his announcement Friday, Trump is heading to his golf club in Florida for the weekend, further underscoring the dubious nature of his “national emergency.”