President Trump defended his decision to declare a national emergency by invoking how past US presidents have used the emergency power.

“Many emergency declarations have been used to protect people in faraway nations and distant lands,” the President told the audience at CPAC on Saturday. “Now we are protecting finally our people.”

While Trump admitted that even some in the Republican Party had pushed back against his decision, he cited his usual rhetoric of an "invasion" at the southern border as justification.

“We are being invaded," Trump said. "We’re being invaded by drugs, by people, by criminals, and we have to stop it.”

The President also acknowledged some Republicans' fears that the move could set a precedent that could potentially be used against them by Democrats in the future.

“They’re going to do that anyway folks,” Trump argued. “The best way to stop that is to make sure that I win the election."

He also added that through his immigration policies, he was trying to do the work that Congress couldn't, or wouldn't, do.

“Our laws are so crazy,” Trump said, “But one by one we’re finding ways. You know they call them loopholes, a lot of our laws are loopholes. Well, I’m trying to get loopholes to get around the loopholes because our Congress can’t act. They just can’t act.”