1. Trump had been playing hardball with the GOP leadership over this for some time -- probably weeks or months.
2. They basically either ignored him or pleaded with him with the excuse that they didn't have enough votes to deliver $5 billion in wall funding.
3. So as time ran down this week, Trump's people told him that he has no power over Congress because THEY have to pass the funding bills. Trump knew he couldn't act unilaterally.
4. So he sits down with some key advisers and comes up with a plan. "Hey, Senators," he says (indirectly) through a Twitter message last night, "If you don't want to protect our borders, then we're not protecting Syria's borders either. I may not have the authority to pass a spending bill on my own, but I AM the Commander-in-Chief of our armed forces."
5. The Senate goes ballistic last night and today.
6. Here's what I think the next message is going to be: "If this wall isn't funded by the time the Democrats take over the House in January it's never going to be funded ... so my next decision on December 31st will be to bring the troops home from Afghanistan."
Negotiating Leverage. It's what Trump knows better than anyone.
Good theory. Seems plausible. Just heard Mattis is leaving. Hummmm...