From immigration to DOGE, Stephen Miller is more powerful in the White House than ever
CNN
Nearly every day since President Donald Trump entered office three weeks ago, he has convened a huddle in the West Wing with two of his senior-most aides to plot out the next steps dramatically reshaping the federal government.
Nearly every day since President Donald Trump entered office three weeks ago, he has convened a huddle in the West Wing with two of his senior-most aides to plot out the next steps dramatically reshaping the federal government. One is his chief of staff, Susie Wiles. The other is Stephen Miller, whose title – deputy chief of staff for policy – in many ways understates the massive influence he commands both with the president and across the government. Miller is helping to drive a maximalist immigration enforcement agenda, one he has spent much of his career designing. And he’s working closely with his ally, Elon Musk, on the billionaire’s Trump-blessed mission to shrink the size of the federal government and rid it of “deep state” bureaucrats. Miller is now one of the most powerful people in government, with a direct line to Trump and – perhaps more importantly – a canny ability to translate Trump’s policy ideas into action. “The American people voted for dramatic change implemented by Donald Trump,” Miller told CNN in an interview last week. “So, it is essential for him to get control of government.”

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth risked compromising sensitive military information that could have endangered US troops through his use of Signal to discuss attack plans, a Pentagon watchdog said in an unclassified report released Thursday. It also details how Hegseth declined to cooperate with the probe.

Two top House lawmakers emerged divided along party lines after a private briefing with the military official who oversaw September’s attack on an alleged drug vessel that included a so-called double-tap strike that killed surviving crew members, with a top Democrat calling video of the incident that was shared as part of the briefing “one of the most troubling things” he has seen as a lawmaker.

Authorities in Colombia are dealing with increasingly sophisticated criminals, who use advanced tech to produce and conceal the drugs they hope to export around the world. But police and the military are fighting back, using AI to flag suspicious passengers, cargo and mail - alongside more conventional air and sea patrols. CNN’s Isa Soares gets an inside look at Bogotá’s war on drugs.

As lawmakers demand answers over reports that the US military carried out a follow-up strike that killed survivors during an attacked on an alleged drug boat in the Caribbean, a career Navy SEAL who has spent most of his 30 years of military experience in special operations will be responsible for providing them.









