Ep. 86: Can Trump Declare A National Emergency To Build His Wall?

With the government shutdown nearing three weeks, President Donald Trump threatened this week to declare a national emergency to pay for a border wall that Congress won’t approve. Can he do that? To help answer that question, we’re joined this week by Elizabeth Goitein of the Brennan Center for Justice, the author of a recent study on emergency powers. Also this week, we discuss how long the federal courts can stay open under the shutdown; Brett Kavanaugh’s first Supreme Court opinion; a big win in court for Flint water crisis victims; and a Reed Smith attorney whose “Animal House” references landed him in double secret probation.