REPORT: No “Emergency” Wall Declaration Tonight

The New York Times reports:

The White House has floated the idea of invoking emergency powers to build a wall along the country’s southwestern border without approval from Congress. But while Democrats have been bracing themselves for him to make that declaration on Tuesday night, administration officials who had seen a draft copy of his speech said the president was not preparing to do so.

Uncertainty around a possible emergency declaration is not out of character for a president who often likes to upend expectations. When he met with television reporters ahead of his State of the Union message last year, for instance, Mr. Trump suggested that he would announce a comprehensive immigration deal, an announcement that did not materialize later that night.

Trump has invited representatives of major networks to an off-the-record lunch today at the White House.