Democrats running for President were quick to blast President Donald Trump’s expected declaration of a national emergency on Thursday, saying the “dangerous” “fake emergency” at the border will bring the country closer to “a dictatorship.”

Julian Castro, the former San Antonio mayor who was President Barack Obama’s Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary, said Trump’s intention to declare a national emergency at the border is “appalling” and would “amount to an abuse of power that should be immediately challenged in the courts.”

“This is a #FakeEmergency from to to bottom,” he added.

The reports of the President’s threat to declare an emergency to use federal funding to build a border wall are appalling. It would amount to an abuse of power that should be immediately challenged in the courts. This is a #FakeEmergency from top to bottom. — Julián Castro (@JulianCastro) February 14, 2019

Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI) said Trump’s declaration would set a “very dangerous precedent” that would bring the country closer to “a dictatorship.”

Every time a president declares a "national emergency" in order to get his way on a particular issue, the closer we are to a dictatorship. Who needs Congress or the people if the president can make the decision on issues by himself? Very dangerous precedent. — Tulsi Gabbard (@TulsiGabbard) February 14, 2019

Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA) blasted Trump’s “vanity project” as “ridiculous” while Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) said it would be an “outrageous abuse of power” and a “waste of taxpayer money.”

Declaring a national emergency over this President's vanity project is ridiculous. We don't need a wall. Instead, we should address the actual emergencies facing our country — everything from gun violence to the opioid crisis. — Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) February 14, 2019

An outrageous abuse of power—not to mention waste of taxpayer dollars—if he goes through with this ludicrous idea. Drop the absurd wall and do your job. https://t.co/kEWdIXjNjr — Kirsten Gillibrand (@SenGillibrand) February 14, 2019

Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) accused Trump of throwing a “temper tantrum” for his “ridiculous wall” while Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) said “Trump’s inability to follow through on a campaign promise is not a national emergency.”

Mexico wouldn't pay for @realDonaldTrump's wall. Congress wouldn't fully fund it. So now he's throwing a temper tantrum and declaring a "national emergency." My new bill would stop him from using disaster recovery funds for his pet project. https://t.co/zSPp4INty3 — Elizabeth Warren (@SenWarren) February 14, 2019

Gun violence is an emergency.

Climate change is an emergency.

Our country's opioid epidemic is an emergency. Donald Trump's ridiculous wall is not an emergency. — Elizabeth Warren (@ewarren) February 14, 2019