Trump to declare national emergency to free up billions for border wall – live

We’re still waiting for Trump to appear. In the meantime, a group of women, each carrying large signs, have just walked into the Rose Garden for the president’s announcement.

It looks like they could be “Angel moms” – the parents or relatives of people who have died due to undocumented immigrants. Trump has repeatedly invited Angel moms to his political events.

This is Adam Gabbatt taking over from Erin, by the way.

Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg has returned to the Supreme Court for the first time this year, after undergoing surgery for cancer.

She’ll attend a closed door conference at the court today, according to CNN.

Former Massachusetts governor Bill Weld has launched an exploratory committee to mount a primary challenge against Donald Trump in 2020, Politico reports.

Weld is a Republican who in 2016 ran for vice president on the Libertarian ticket.

“Our president is simply too unstable to carry out the duties of the highest executive office in the land,” Weld said Friday in New Hampshire, according to Politico.

“I’m here because I think our country is in grave peril, and I cannot sit any longer quietly on the sidelines,” he said. “We have a president who openly praises and encourages despotic and authoritarian leaders abroad while going out of his way seemingly to insult and even humiliate our Democratic allies.”

Democrats are criticizing the use of military construction funds, one of the sources Donald Trump is expected to tap for border wall money.

After Donald Trump signs the declaration of national emergency today, he’s expected to head to his Mar a Lago club in Florida.

Donald Trump’s emergency declaration would hand him about $8 billion to build his wall on the US-Mexico border.

That’s $1.375 billion approved by Congress for fences along 55 miles of the Texas border, plus another $6.5 billion he intends to spend without Congressional approval, according to the Washington Post.

ABC News breaks it down further: $1.375 billion would come from the spending bill Congress passed Thursday; $600 million would come from the Treasury Department’s drug forfeiture fund; $2.5 billion would come from the Pentagon’s drug interdiction program; and $3.5 billion from the Pentagon’s military construction budget. It’s the last item that requires the declaration of a national emergency.

Donald Trump is prepared to veto any legislation from Congress to block his emergency declaration.

On a call with supporters Friday morning, Russell Vought, the acting director of the Office of Management and Budget said that Trump would “absolutely veto” a bill, the Washington Post reports.

He also said it will “shock” people how quickly the administration moves to contract and construct the wall.

Republicans are making much of Beto O’Rourke’s comments last night that he would tear down existing border walls.

The Guardian took a look at the numbers after Minnesota congresswoman Ilhan Omar ignited a controversy with two tweets claiming pro-Israel lobby money influenced American political policy and discourse. The claim led to accusations of antisemitism.

The records show that pro-Israel lobbyists and donors spent more than $22m on lobbying and campaign contributions during the 2018 election cycle.

Omar incorrectly suggested Aipac makes campaign contributions to candidates. However, records show it did spend about $3.5m lobbying during the 2018 election cycle. In total, pro-Israel lobbying groups spent about $5min 2018, the highest tally since tracking began in 1998.

Pro-Israel groups and individuals also contributed just under $15m to USpoliticians’ campaigns during the 2018 cycle, the highest amount since the 1990 cycle. The J Street Pac, a progressive, pro-Israel lobby that advocates for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, contributed the most at $4.03m.