'A lot of friction': GOP aide predicts big fights between Trump and Republican lawmakers
Former congressional adviser Brendan Buck, who served two Republican Speakers of the House, said that despite being in power in the House, Senate and White House, it doesn't mean Donald Trump will have the freedom to accomplish whatever he wants.
Speaking to MSNBC on Friday, Buck was asked about Trump's promise of mass deportations and the price tag that comes with it. Estimations are that it would cost about $88 billion annually to fund such a program. It isn't clear whether the GOP congress would be willing to fund it.
Meanwhile, he said that the limits of executive power will become a huge question. While the Constitution puts limits on the executive branch, the Supreme Court also gave the president a pass for breaking the law while acting as the president.
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"Some of the things Donald Trump is going to do will end up in court. One thing I'm curious about: how does he respond to court rulings that don't go in his favor and follow them?" Buck wondered. "That's the constitutional crisis kind of thing I'm looking at."
"Mass deportations – there are not the resources in place to do that," he continued. "The friction is going to come when he goes to Congress and says, I need money, I need these things."
He doubts that the new narrow House majority will be able to pass spending bills that will give Trump what he wants.
"There's going to be a lot of friction, a House majority of two or three seats, and they're probably going to be unable to keep everybody together, and there's going to be Democrats coming in to help them do basic things, fund the government, increase the debt limit," estimated Buck.
"But these things he's asking for are beyond the scale of anything we've ever been able to see or do, and I can't imagine that he's going to be able to execute," Buck confessed.
He questioned what Trump will do when the resources aren't there to do what he wants.
"He is so motivated because he feels like he made this promise, and he's not going to be undeterred," said Buck.
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