It’s an emergency!

“National emergency” is being declared by presidents at a record pace

Since returning to the White House in January, Donald Trump has declared eight national emergencies.

The United States has not been attacked. The economy is in mostly good condition. Tornadoes and heavy rain hit Tennessee and Kentucky, but there has been no major natural disaster. There is no epidemic. Goods, services, foodstuffs, energy and primary materials are plentiful.

Yet eight national emergencies announced in slightly more than three months.

Trump’s tariffs, to take one example, may prove wise or foolish. The legal basis of Trump tariffs is the declaration of a national economic emergency.

From 1917 to 1977, American presidents announced 19 national emergencies.

Since 1977, 71 national emergencies have been declared – 21 of them by Trump, most of any president. Bill Clinton is second with 17, during nearly twice as long a span in the Oval Office.

Three times as many national emergencies in the last half century as in the prior half century – a period that encompassed the Great Depression, two world wars and the darkest phase of nuclear brinkmanship.

FDR steered the United States through the Depression and World War II needing only two declarations of national emergency.

Harry Truman kept Uncle Sam’s ship off the rocks during the Korean War and proliferation of atomic weapons, using only one national emergency declaration.

George W. Bush issued two declarations of national emergency in response to the 9-11 attacks on American soil.

Trump needed three declarations of national emergency just to get through his first week of return to office.

Photo by Jason Leung on Unsplash

At one level this reflects the ongoing adulteration of American discourse.

Troubles are many, they’re as deep as a well. Problems are everywhere you look. But what bona-fide emergency afflicts America? Since we exaggerate everything, mostly-okay situations become a National Emergency.

To contemporary politicians, social media and the legacy media, problems are not problems: they are emergencies and crises.

Donald Trump said on the 2024 campaign trail, “America has become carnage and chaos, the United States has never been worse.” Joe Biden said from the Oval Office that humanity was in danger of extinction because of the weather. Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez said in 2019 the world will end by 2030.

Pundits, and producers of clickbait, make similar preposterous assertions. For politicians the result is power and donations, for media organizations the result is subscribers and ad revenue. Whatever you reward you get more of – that’s basic economics. And contemporary society rewards claims of “emergency” and “crisis.”