PBS News Hour - Politics

In our news wrap Friday, President Trump cast the first veto of his administration. The action was in response to Congress’ resolution to block Trump’s national emergency declaration over immigration at the U.S. border with Mexico. Meanwhile, North Korea is warning the U.S. that it may restart missile launches and nuclear tests in the wake of failed negotiations in Hanoi last month.

A crowded field of Democratic 2020 presidential candidates now includes former Texas Rep. Beto O’Rourke, who campaigned in Iowa this week, trying to appeal across party lines. Also in Iowa was entrepreneur Andrew Yang, who just became eligible to participate in Democratic debates. Still, a major question remains unanswered: will popular former Vice President Joe Biden run? Lisa Desjardins reports.

Syndicated columnist Mark Shields and New York Times columnist David Brooks join Judy Woodruff to analyze the week's news, including hate and tragedy in New Zealand, President Trump’s aggressive and “reckless” rhetoric and the latest updates from the field of 2020 Democratic presidential candidates.

The Senate defied President Trump on Thursday, with 12 Republicans helping form a decisive majority to block his declaration of a national emergency over immigration. But the 59-41 vote wasn't a large enough majority to overturn a veto, and Trump vowed immediately to use one--the first of his presidency. Judy Woodruff talks to Lisa Desjardins and Yamiche Alcindor about the "stunning rebuke."

Former Sen. Birch Bayh, who served three terms as an Indiana Democrat, died Thursday at his home in Maryland. Bayh was the primary architect of Title IX, which bars sex discrimination in colleges, and the 25th Amendment, which empowers presidents to fill vice presidential vacancies and outlines a procedure for declaring sitting presidents unfit. John Yang remembers the influential legislator.

Former Trump campaign chair Paul Manafort was sentenced Wednesday to three-and-a-half more years in prison for federal crimes related to foreign lobbying and witness tampering. After the hearing, a New York prosecutor revealed new state-level charges for Manafort, too. William Brangham, who was in the courthouse, reports, and Amna Nawaz talks to former federal prosecutor Jessica Roth for analysis.

Much of President Trump’s rhetoric over immigration focuses on the people crossing the U.S.-Mexico border illegally. But what is the situation for the thousands who wait on a daily basis to enter through legal means? In the second installment of our two-part series, Amna Nawaz crosses the border into Mexico to see firsthand how the existing U.S. immigration system “isn’t working for anyone.”

The White House has released President Trump’s proposed 2020 budget. The record $4.7 trillion plan calls for increased military spending and $8.6 billion for Trump’s controversial border wall, along with significant cuts to domestic programs. Judy Woodruff talks to the president’s chief economic adviser, Larry Kudlow, about his priorities and why “growth solves a lot of problems” for the economy.

In the Yuma sector of the southwestern Arizona border, Border Patrol officials are observing dramatic shifts in the migrant populations they apprehend. In the past, a majority of migrants caught crossing illegally were single men. Now 90% of those apprehended are Central American families and unaccompanied children. Amna Nawaz reports on how changing demographics are taxing immigration resources.

Democratic presidential hopefuls courted voters across the country over the weekend. Indiana mayor Pete Buttigieg spoke at the popular South by Southwest conference and festival in Austin, Texas, while Sen. Bernie Sanders campaigned in New Hampshire. Meanwhile, polls among Iowa Democrats suggest an increasing appetite for more liberal policies. John Yang reports.