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Sometimes it feels like we're watching Donald Trump discover the powers of the presidency.

Remember those few weeks last year when he pardoned a bunch of people or when he decided to throw out decades of diplomacy

and just go talk to Kim Jong-un.

This week it feels like we're watching him discover he has a superpower, a national emergency.

I have the absolute right to declare a national emergency. The lawyers have so advised me

I'm not prepared to do that yet but if I have to I will. I have no doubt about it I will.

This morning the president spoke to reporters before heading to the border.

Other presidents have used it some fairly often. I have the absolute right to declare a national

emergency. I haven't done it yet. I may do it. If this doesn't work out probably I will do it.

I would almost say definitely.

With Democrats holding their ground on the border wall the state of emergency

maybe definitely looks like President Trump's last option.

So how many superpowers does he get from declaring one?

According to the Brennan Center for Justice there's something like 136 of them.

And they really run the gamut in terms of the subject matters they address.

They are in all possible areas of government whether it's agriculture or public contracts or

transportation or imports and exports.

Liza Goyteen is a director at the Brennan Center.

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