CNN’s Cordero: Trump Has a History of Using National Security as a Pretext to Achieve Political Objectives

EXCERPT:

CORDERO: "Well, here is the problem from a national security perspective. The problem is that the president, this specific president, has a demonstrated history throughout his campaign and his presidency of using national security as a pretext to achieve political objectives."
BALDWIN: "Isn't that dangerous?"
CORDERO: "As a national security policy professional, I can’t begin to tell you how dangerous I think that is. Because it has different effects. One hand, he has the potential to abuse national security legal authority. So the Constitution grants the president and certain acts grant the president these wide latitude of authorities to act in a real national emergency, a real national security threat. The trouble is there is no information that has been provided in the public domain indicating that the border wall, the $5 billion that he wants, actually would achieve a national security or homeland security objective. There is certainly a humanitarian problem. There certainly needs to be more immigration judges and there is a whole host of border and immigration security legislation that is likely needed. But the border wall money is a political issue for the President. And what concerns me is that he is going down the path once again, because we saw him do this with the travel ban, of trying to use his broad national security executive authorities in abusive way."