Would Ann Coulter Challenge Trump in GOP Primary Over National Emergency Declaration?

This morning President Trump declared a national emergency to get The Wall built along the Southern border.


It was a predictable course of action after the debacle that ensued for Trump after the partial federal government shutdown which lasted for five weeks. Although he reserved the right to shutdown the government after agreeing to reopen it two weeks ago I didn't think he would go ahead with it unless he wanted Nancy Pelosi to give him a spanking and send him to bed without his ice cream. To have shutdown the government again would have been the definition of insanity by repeating the same behavior and expecting a different result.


Even if the national emergency is successfully challenged in court, Trump can tell his supporters that he fought for the wall. But at least one former supporter isn't buying. Ann Coulter, who in 2016 wrote the book In Trump We Trust: E Pluribus Awesome!, blasted Trump for his decision on Twitter:


The goal is to get Trump's stupidest voters to say "HE'S FIGHTING!" No he's not. If he signs this bill, it's over.


Clearly, Coulter isn't over with Trump these days either. During his national emergency announcement in the Rose Garden, Trump gave Coulter the "I don't know her well" treatment.


Earlier today, former Massachusetts Governor and 2016 VP candidate for the Libertarian Party Bill Weld declared he would a form an exploratory committee with the intent of challenging Trump in the 2020 GOP primaries. While I would personally support Weld in his efforts as a primary challenge would weaken Trump the way Ted Kennedy weakened Jimmy Carter in 1980 and Pat Buchanan weakened George H.W. Bush in 1992, he wouldn't take very many votes away from Trump outside of New Hampshire. Aside from the Live Free or Die state, the people who would vote for Weld are the people who wouldn't vote for Trump for all his money.


Things bring me back to Coulter. If it is truly over between them then what other card can she play? How else is she going to put 2016 Ann Coulter in the rearview mirror aside from launching a GOP primary challenge against Trump? Unlike Weld, Coulter could take away votes from the very core of his MAGA empire. So Trump vs. Coulter. What would Fox News and talk radio do? That alone is worth a big bag of popcorn. While Trump would most likely survive a primary challenge from Coulter, she would do enough damage to him that all his Democratic opponent need to do is pick away at the scraps.


Then again, Trump broke every political rule in the book in 2016. One cannot discount the same possibility in 2020. Even if Coulter were to challenge him by September 2020 they could very well have kissed (with tongue) and made up.


This caution notwithstanding, a Coulter primary challenge would very likely represent the beginning of the end of the Trump presidency. In which case, for once, liberals will stand up and cheer for Ann Coulter.