Trump slammed for using 'imaginary' crises to bypass the law: analysis

President Donald Trump is manufacturing "imaginary" emergencies in order to use powers that bypass the regular rule of law, Karen Tumulty wrote for The Washington Post.

This comes as experts reveal many of Trump's plans could actually do the opposite of what he is promising for consumers, particularly on energy.

"By invoking the powers that come with the declaration of a national emergency, a president gains the ability, usually with just a signature on an executive order, to bypass laws and regulations," she wrote. "But at times, these proclamations are not tools for dealing with an actual crisis. Instead, they are used to sweep away impediments to a chief executive’s political agenda."

For instance, Trump is declaring an "energy emergency" even though oil production is now higher than it was when he left office — and a "border emergency" even though crossings are likewise down from what they were when former President Joe Biden took over.

Nonetheless, Tumulty wrote, "A president’s emergency powers are vast. In all, according to a tally by the New York University Law School’s Brennan Center for Justice, they stretch across 150 provisions in laws whose reach includes health and the environment, public land use, troop deployments, military construction, seizure of private property, even the dumping of garbage at sea."

There have been periodic bipartisan attempts to rein in presidential emergency powers, Tumulty wrote — but that's not likely to see a resurgence anytime soon with Republicans in unified control.

"Given Trump’s hold over the GOP, it is hard to imagine that a Congress where both chambers are in Republican hands will do much to constrain him," she concluded. "So, expect to hear more manufactured emergencies coming from the Trump White House — each one chipping at the guardrails that limit presidential power."