Quote:
Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, told reporters there were two hours of phone calls between McConnell and the White House before there were assurances that Trump would sign. In a surprising development, McConnell said he would support Trump’s emergency declaration, a turnabout for the Kentucky Republican, who like many lawmakers had opposed such action.
McConnell is an amoral worm who will do anything which is politically expedient. Trump was evidently threatening to shut the government down again if he didn't get his emergency, supported by McConnell. McConnell's options there are:
1) Allow the government to get shut down again
2) Go to war with Trump (teaming up with Dems for a spending bill, overriding vetoes, etc)
3) Support the emergency
Option 3 isn't GOOD or anything, but obviously McConnell calculated, correctly imo, that it was less politically damaging to the GOP and to him personally than options 1 or 2.