BORDER/IMMIGRATION/MEXICO/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump could initiate chaos and grave economic disruption by finally making good on his threat to slam shut the southern border, yet he’s clearly tempted to do it anyway. Such a dramatic gesture would fulfill many of Trump’s most fundamental short-term political goals and indulge a domineering personality and a desire to please his most vehement supporters that drives so much of his behavior as President…Trump’s anti-immigration rhetoric and willingness to flout international norms suggest he cares little about the humanitarian and diplomatic implications of such a radical move, which he has threatened to take as early as this week. Yet the swift and severe economic impact of closing the border — on industries like auto manufacturing, retail and fresh produce, and on US exports to a top trading partner, Mexico — could finally stay the President’s hand and suggests he could be bluffing again. There were also signs Monday that the administration could be using the threat of a border closure to leverage more action from regional governments to stop the flight of migrants, when Stephen Miller, Trump’s senior adviser, said the President was not quite ready to decide on a border closure.”
–Stephen Collinson, “Trump seems inclined to close border despite potential chaos,” CNN Politics, CNN.com, April 1, 2019 10:23 am