California AG Says Five States Will Sue Trump Over National Emergency Declaration

Democratic California Attorney General Xavier Becerra says that four other states will join California in a lawsuit over Donald Trump‘s national emergency declaration.

On Sunday morning’s edition of This Week with George Stephanopoulos, fill-in host Martha Raddatz asked Becerra about the impending lawsuit.

“Mr. Attorney General, let me ask you; can you say definitely that California will be filing a lawsuit, and when that will happen?” Radatz asked.

“Martha, definitely and imminently,” Becerra replied emphatically.

“And, and imminently, Monday? Nothing will stop you?” Raddatz asked.

“No reason. We are prepared, we knew something like this might happen. And with our sister state partners, we are ready to go,” Becerra replied.

Raddatz noted that Trump’s plans for a border wall are focused in Texas, not California.

“What harm is he doing to California with this declaration? Or will you join other states? How will that work?” Raddatz asked.

“We’re confident there are at least 8 billion ways that we can prove harm,” Becerra said, adding that “once we are all clear, all the different states are clear, what pots of money that taxpayers sent to D.C. he’s going to raid, which Congress dedicated to different types of services; whether it’s emergency response services, or whether it’s fires or mudslides in California, or maybe tornadoes and floods in other parts of the country, or whether it’s our military men and women and their families who live on military installations that might – that might have money taken away from them, or whether it’s money taken away from drug interdiction efforts in places like California, a number of states, and certainly Americans, will be harmed.”

Following the interview, ABC News reported that Becerra specified the sister states that would be joining California in the suit:

Becerra told ABC News after his interview on “This Week” that New Mexico, Oregon, Hawaii and Minnesota will be joining California in the coming lawsuit.

When announcing his emergency declaration, Trump himself noted that he “didn’t need to do this,” a clear admission that the emergency is not actually an emergency.

Watch the clip above, via ABC News.

[Image via screengrab]

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