"I will be closing the border," Trump says, if Mexico doesn't do -- something -- about the flow of immigrants reaching our southern border.
It's not entirely clear what legal precedent Trump could use to actually shut down the border, but one thing that is clear is that it would be an economic disaster.
Industry economists who spoke to CNN say the entire American auto industry would come screeching to a halt within a week if Trump shuts down the border because they would literally run out of parts to produce new vehicles. Trump regime officials who spoke to CNN also say they've warned Trump about the consequences and he hasn't been convinced that it's a bad idea.
Members of his own administration have told CNN that he has been warned several times about the economic consequences of a shutdown. One administration official described the effects as "catastrophic" and "a whole world of hurt." But the president continues to contemplate the idea of shutting the border in sections or in its entirety, according to officials.
The auto industry is particularly vulnerable to a border shutdown because it imports $59.4 billion worth of parts from Mexico. It also exports $32.5 billion worth of parts from US automakers and parts manufacturers to assembly plants operating in Mexico. Those exports could be shutdown as well.
For those who don't particularly care if Trump idles the entire auto industry, you may be alarmed to learn that we would also run out of avocados within a few weeks if Trump closes the border.
I'm being facetious, of course, but the threat is real enough.
Trump may be bluffing about shutting down the border and we should hope so because there may not be anything stopping him from doing so.