The president-elect is moving quickly to install tough immigration advocates in prominent White House positions, suggesting that his pledge to implement sweeping new restrictions on migration and launch a mass deportation program may take priority in the early days of his new administration.
Trump plans to nominate former aide Stephen Miller as White House deputy chief of staff for policy, according to Vice President-elect JD Vance, who congratulated Miller and credited Trump with a “fantastic choice” in a social media post. The appointment was initially reported by CNN.
Miller will serve under , who ran Trump’s campaign, and alongside , who the president-elect announced will serve as “border czar” in a social media post over the weekend.
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Miller, who served as a senior adviser during Trump’s first term, was the main architect of his controversial travel ban. In recent years, his nonprofit America First Legal has challenged corporate diversity, equity and inclusion efforts.
Here’s everything happening in the Trump transition:
Musk questions Stefanik
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The billionaire Trump supporter, , questioned the president-elect’s decision to nominate the New York congresswoman, , as his ambassador to the United Nations, noting that Republicans are unlikely to maintain more than a slim majority in the House.
“Elise is amazing, but it might be risky to lose her from the House, at least for now,” Musk tweeted Monday morning.
Republicans struggled during the last congressional term to manage their House group with an extremely narrow majority, while defectors paralyzed the chamber and sparked multiple leadership battles. House Speaker Mike Johnson will need to navigate these conflicts again, and do so without the assistance of Stefanik, a Trump loyalist who holds the fourth-highest GOP position in the chamber.
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Challenging man
Hours after being named “border czar” by Trump, Homan appeared on Fox News and dismissed criticism of policies he implemented during the president-elect’s first term that separated undocumented migrant children from their families.
“I don’t care what people think about me. Especially on the left,” Homan said, noting that aggressive measures were necessary “when you have such a big crisis.”
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Homan said he was hopeful that local law enforcement would assist federal authorities in the deportation efforts promised by Trump.
“We’re going to do this work, with or without you,” Homan said.
Battle for leadership
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Sen. Rick Scott, the Florida lawmaker seeking to replace Mitch McConnell as Senate Republican leader, tried to boost his candidacy with an appearance on Fox News on Monday morning. Scott said he expected Trump to weigh in on the leadership battle, where Scott is competing against John Thune of South Dakota and John Cornyn of Texas.
“The country voted that it wants change. They want Trump’s agenda. They want their nominees. They want your policies. We have to do everything we can to make this happen,” he said.
Scott has crucial support from some Trump allies — including Musk — who believe he would help accelerate the president-elect’s agenda in the upper chamber. But Trump has yet to comment, saying only that he wanted the next majority leader to agree to allow temporary presidential appointments when the Senate is not in session.
Scott, a former for-profit healthcare executive and the richest sitting senator, said this experience would be beneficial to him in the leadership role.
“I’m a businessman who has had success doing exactly what we need to do in the Senate,” Scott said.
Notice from the Department of Justice
Trump transition official Mark Paoletta on Monday warned career Justice Department lawyers that they “would be subject to disciplinary action, up to and including termination” if they refused to implement the president-elect’s agenda.
Justice Department officials could be tasked with preparing pardons for those convicted of crimes related to the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection, helping to abolish DEI initiatives and helping ease energy regulations, posted Paoletta, an attorney who previously served as general counsel at the Office of Management and Budget during Trump’s first term.
“I hope they are as committed to helping President Trump implement his agenda as they were to President Biden. Of course, political leadership appreciates feedback to help improve a project. But once the decision is made to move forward, career officials are obligated to implement the president’s plan,” he continued.
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