As the government shutdown continues into its third week, President Trump has alluded to invoking his ability to cite Emergency Powers to allocate funds for his pet project, the border wall. A recent Times article analyzed what would be involved with that process. Like any good narrative, the article builds to the climax, highlighted below:

If Mr. Trump declares that the situation along the southern border suddenly constitutes an emergency that justifies building a wall without explicit congressional sanction, he will run up against a reality: that the facts on the ground have not drastically shifted. The number of people crossing the border unlawfully is far down from its peak of nearly two decades ago… And while Mr. Trump and his aides keep claiming that terrorists are sneaking in across the border, including assertions that they are doing so by the thousands, as a matter of empirical reality, there has been no such instance in the modern era.

Still, as a matter of legal procedure, facts may be irrelevant.

Putting aside for a moment the question of How are facts irrelevant in legal procedures? (some questions are best left unexamined, like tax returns, sex tapes and meetings with Russian operatives), our staff here at AndWhyNot? would like heave a large, collective, cathartic sighing-shout of Thank God! to the heavens above. 

Given that for the first two years of his term Trump has averaged saying nearly 11 false or misleading statements every day, what a huge relief it is to know that by removing the demands of facts we’re playing to the President’s strengths. Facts facts facts! It’s tyrannical, it’s outright anti-democratic. But now, released from the strictures of facts certain liberal contrarians insist upon constructing like a defensive abatis in our President’s path, we can finally be free to soar to new heights.

Ideally those heights will be located atop a giant cement wall. Or maybe a wall made from steel slats. If we’re really lucky maybe it’ll be a see through wall.

Either way, it’ll be high, these new heights we’ll achieve. Very, very high! The highest ever!