CNN’s John Berman: Are Trump’s New Border Threats Serious or Just ‘A Guy Home Alone Venting to the Walls’?

CNN’s John Berman opened tonight’s AC360 with President Donald Trump‘s latest threat in the ongoing shutdown fight over border security and the wall.

The President is now threatening to “close the Southern Border entirely,” among other things:

We will be forced to close the Southern Border entirely if the Obstructionist Democrats do not give us the money to finish the Wall & also change the ridiculous immigration laws that our Country is saddled with. Hard to believe there was a Congress & President who would approve!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 28, 2018

….The United States looses soooo much money on Trade with Mexico under NAFTA, over 75 Billion Dollars a year (not including Drug Money which would be many times that amount), that I would consider closing the Southern Border a “profit making operation.” We build a Wall or…..

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 28, 2018

…..close the Southern Border. Bring our car industry back into the United States where it belongs. Go back to pre-NAFTA, before so many of our companies and jobs were so foolishly sent to Mexico. Either we build (finish) the Wall or we close the Border……

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 28, 2018

…..Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador are doing nothing for the United States but taking our money. Word is that a new Caravan is forming in Honduras and they are doing nothing about it. We will be cutting off all aid to these 3 countries – taking advantage of U.S. for years!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 28, 2018

“Wherever you stand on the wall, whether you think House Democrats are obstructionist or not, whatever your views on trade may be,” Berman said, “this kind of seems like an apple solution to an orange problem. The president, for better or worse, appears to be hoping to influence Democrats by at best threatening Mexico and at worst by holding a gun to the U.S. economy’s head.”

But he also raised the question of whether this is a serious threat or just Trump blowing off some steam:

“The White House did tell us very early on to consider presidential tweets official statements, which means even when they’re not fully cogent or cooked. So is that the case this time? Misbegotten or not, ill-advised or not, are these real threats or is this just a case of a guy home alone venting to the walls?

You can watch above, via CNN.

[image via screengrab]

from Mediaite http://bit.ly/2Va07e6