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Trump offers White House press secretary job to UFC CEO Dana White

U.S. President Donald Trump offered the open White House press secretary position to UFC chief executive Dana White in a social media post on Saturday.

"I am pleased to announce that the Great Dana White, a violent Fighter and Warrior, has been offered the job of Press Secretary of the United States," Trump wrote in a post on his Truth Social platform.

"I have requested that he bring with him assistants, even though some are not from our Country, of Islam Makhachev, Khabib Nurmagomedov, Justin Gaethje, Daniel Cormier, Amanda Nunes, and Kayla Harris," Trump added. "We need these people to defend us against the Lunatic Left. Dana will be a Press Secretary like none other. Dana, please take the job! President DONALD J. TRUMP"

Trump name-dropped several UFC fighters that White could presumably bring with him to the White House podium to interact with reporters. However, he mistyped the name of Kayla Harrison, arguably the top women's fighter in the world. A two-time Olympic gold medalist and UFC bantamweight champion, Harrison will defend her title at next week's UFC 334 event at New York’s Madison Square Garden.

The White House has not officially responded to Trump's post, creating some uncertainty as to whether or not this was a serious invitation, according to the Associated Press.

White, in London for Saturday's Zuffa Boxing 12 event, also has not directly responded to the president's announcement. However, he posted a screen shot of Trump's announcement on an Instagram story, along with an image of himself at the podium of the White House press briefing room with the caption, "On to the next chapter."

(Dana White on Instagram)

Trump and White have known each other for at least 25 years

The relationship between the U.S. president and White dates back to 2001, when Trump's Taj Mahal hotel and casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey hosted a UFC event. At the time, New Jersey was one of the few states that sanctioned UFC cards, which were banned in 36 states.

Since then, the two have developed a friendship as Trump has attended several UFC events over the past 25 years — including four as sitting U.S. president. White introduced Trump at the 2024 Republican National Convention, in addition to speaking at the 2016 and 2020 events.

The most public display of the Trump-White partnership was the UFC Freedom 250 event that was held on the South Lawn of the White House in June. The main event of that card was an upset win by UFC lightweight champion Justin Gaethje, whose name was referenced in Trump's Truth Social post.

UFC holding an event at the White House raised White's already high profile, resulting in interviews with NPR, Rolling Stone and the New Yorker, and an appearance on the cover of Time magazine. White defended Trump in those interviews and implied that he had an advisory role during the 2024 presidential campaign.

The press secretary position became open just over two weeks ago when Katie Zacharia resigned after only five days on the job. Previously a conservative commentator and advisor for the company that runs Truth Social, Zacharia received immediate scrutiny after an initial press briefing that lasted only five minutes, followed by questions over whether she was actually a lawyer, as claimed.

Zacharia took over for Karoline Leavitt, who left the press secretary role in August following the birth of her second child. During Leavitt's maternity leave, other officials in the Trump administration held press briefings, including Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.

Expanding on naval blockade, U.S. military looks to restrict Iranian land commerce

(Adds dropped word in paragraph 12)

By Phil Stewart

WASHINGTON, Nov 7 (Reuters) - Building on a months-long naval blockade on Iran, the US military said on Saturday it is launching a task force to help crack ‌down on Tehran's movement of advanced weapons and other sanctioned material over its land borders and through the ‌Caspian Sea.

Task Force Iron Gate, which was first reported by Reuters, will be based in Tampa, Florida, and will coordinate with other US government agencies. ​Beyond movement of weapons, it will also focus on halting the flow of dual-use technologies used by Iran and stemming what Washington calls illegal revenue streams.

The establishment of the task force is the latest illustration of how the US is still searching for ways to increase pressure on Tehran, more than eight months after launching with Israel a war against the Islamic Republic.

While US ‌strikes have dealt devastating blows to Iran's conventional �military and the US naval blockade has severely restricted its crude exports through the Strait of Hormuz and the Arabian Sea, Iran still poses a formidable threat to the region and its �rulers have tightened their grip on the country.

IRAN'S SECRET NETWORK

A Reuters investigation found Iran has created a secret network of military agencies to import at least $2 billion in hardware, explosives and heavy-duty trucks since January 2025, evading both the US naval blockade and Western ​sanctions.

The ​material entered Iran by cargo ship across the Caspian Sea from ​Russia, by truck from Central Asia, and by freight ‌planes from China, the Reuters investigation showed.

US Central Command said the task force will coordinate with other government agencies. A US military official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that was expected to include the Treasury, State and Justice Departments but also the intelligence community.

"Strengthening CENTCOM’s collaboration with US interagency partners will further constrain Iran’s ability to finance terrorism, rebuild weapons factories, and replenish their military," Admiral Brad Cooper, the commander of Central Command, said in a statement.

Central Command estimated that its ‌naval blockade has prevented Iran from exporting more than $25 billion in ​crude oil.

Still, Iran has proven resilient and gloated following US midterm election ​results that punished Trump's Republican Party, giving control of ​Congress to opposition Democrats. Vice President JD Vance blamed the Iran war for electoral rout, and ‌appeared to question whether the conflict was worth it.

Mediators ​have intensified efforts in recent ​days to end the war between Iran and the United States amid fears it could reignite after the US midterm elections.

Trump has been threatening to carry out a new offensive against Iran, putting countries in the Gulf ​on edge, since Tehran has threatened broad ‌retaliation against Gulf infrastructure.

Reuters has reported that US intelligence assessments in recent months have indicated that renewed strikes ​on Iran would not fundamentally change Tehran's negotiating position or lead to the fall of Iran's government.

(Reporting ​by Phil Stewart; Editing by Andrew Heavens and Tomasz Janowski)

Trump ally Laura Loomer reportedly charged up to $5,000 for political posts

The right-wing activist Laura Loomer has been paid by private clients to make political posts on social media without publicly disclosing the payments, according to a former campaign aide to President Donald Trump and three others familiar with the arrangements, shedding light on what they say is a business practice of one of the Trump administration's most influential online firebrands.

The allegations were made by Alex Bruesewitz, an adviser to Trump's 2024 campaign, and three other people who spoke on the condition of anonymity. Two of the three people said they had paid Loomer directly to post political messages on her X account, where she has 1.9 million followers. The third said they had overseen clients who paid her to post on the account. The three spoke on the condition of anonymity.

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Bank transaction emails and a wire transfer statement reviewed by The Washington Post appear to show four payments totaling more than $60,000 sent to Loomer and a Florida-based company registered in her name, King Breaker Media, since May of last year.

The documents do not specify the purpose of the payments, but two people familiar with the arrangements said they were for political posts.

Loomer, one of Trump's best-known online acolytes, denied to The Post that she is paid to post on social media. She instead described herself as a journalist and activist and disputed the idea that she is an influencer paid to promote any political cause.

The new claims about Loomer's influence business could add fuel to a growing debate about the little-regulated industry of political messaging on social media, where influencers on both sides of the aisle have operated in a legal gray area between advocacy and advertising.

Bruesewitz first posted his allegations on X on Thursday. Many of the details about Loomer's alleged online influence operation have not been previously reported.

Bruesewitz said in an interview with The Post that he had paid Loomer for tweets last year. He said the money had been sent through his political consulting firm, X Strategies, for posts related to policy issues. He declined to specify what clients.

Despite brokering these deals himself, he believes that they should require clearer disclosures and have "gotten out of hand."

Loomer disputed Bruesewitz's account and said that his firm contacted her last year offering to pay her for research.

"He paid me to make a one-page research document for him, and then he wanted me to distribute the information. And that's what I did," Loomer said. Asked where she was expected to distribute the research, she said, "Either X or maybe an article."

When asked how that was different from being paid to tweet, Loomer said she had actually been told to create the research document but that Bruesewitz had said he would have it distributed.

Loomer accused Bruesewitz of "lashing out" at her because of her political beliefs.

Bruesewitz and the three other people declined to publicly share the tweets they said Loomer had published to maintain the privacy of their clients. But The Post reviewed a selection of the tweets under the condition that they not be revealed publicly.

Two of the people said that Loomer charges $3,000 to $5,000 per tweet, and sometimes more.

Loomer said she does not have set pricing for consulting work. "I certainly don't charge $5,000 for a tweet," she said.

The four people who had paid or oversaw payments to Loomer for posting political statements on social media said she is an effective, if sometimes unpredictable, messenger and a key way of trying to get a line directly to Trump.

Jared Holt, a senior researcher at Open Measures, a platform that measures the spread of online extremism and disinformation, agreed. "This is somebody that has a tremendous amount of influence and access to the president's ear," said Holt, who studies the far right.

Loomer said in an interview Thursday night that she could not discuss the terms of her work with most of her clients due to confidentiality agreements and the fact that her accountant handled her invoices.

"I'm not some influencer that makes money from tweeting. My business is public affairs and opposition research," she said. "I also have a media company. It's not illegal to make a living in America."

Roughly one hour after The Post discussed the claims with Loomer, she announced on X that she is taking a hiatus from her online show, "Loomer Unleashed," so she could pursue a more "healthy work life balance" and prepare for her upcoming wedding.

"I just need to step back, recharge, refocus, and be present in my own life and my own mind with peace and clarity for a little while," she wrote. Loomer said the announcement had been scheduled in advance.

Loomer, 33, has traveled with Trump and met privately with him in the Oval Office during his second term in office. Detractors within the administration have taken issue with Loomer's relationship to the president and have lamented that several high-ranking defense and national security officials have been dismissed after she has publicly rebuked them, often on her X account.

Trump last year called Loomer a "very nice person" and a "patriot." After the White House fired aides on the National Security Council staff last year whom Loomer had accused of disloyalty, Trump denied that she was involved in the dismissal but acknowledged she had made some firing recommendations and said, "Sometimes I listen to those recommendations."

The White House declined to comment.

The Federal Trade Commission requires bloggers, influencers and other online figures to disclose when they have been paid to endorse a product, but the agency doesn't have jurisdiction over political ads.

Some advocacy groups have called for stronger regulations around paid political content. The Campaign Legal Center last year petitioned the Federal Election Commission to consider requiring "paid for by" disclosures on influencers' political posts, saying they could help voters better assess the content they see online. California Gov. Gavin Newsom recently signed legislation that will penalize influencers who post paid political messages without disclosure.

The general lack of transparency among political influencers, Holt said, "further degrades confidence in what people see online and how genuine it may be, or how representative it may actually be of the communities that these various influencers purport to speak for."

Loomer has frequently said her bulldog advocacy reflects her genuine views, telling The Bulwark in May 2025 that she was "not paid for [her] posts."

One person who said they had paid Loomer to tweet on behalf of clients said she was deliberate in her work and would only tweet if she agreed with the position. The person said not every client wanted to work with her because they believed she was polarizing but that some had hired her assuming she had an audience in the White House.

The person added, however, that Loomer was like a "nuclear bomb." "You have to be careful how to use that," they said. "It's effective but also turns a lot of things to s--- if you're not careful."

Loomer said she took that as a compliment. "I'm glad people find me to be effective and think I have a good reach," she said. "I'm not going to apologize for monetizing the fact that people fear me."

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Races yet to be called: Dems lead Mississippi, Alaska and Colorado

Democrats continue to celebrate one of the most lopsided midterm election victories in modern U.S. history, routing their Republican rivals to gain control of the U.S. House, U.S. Senate and statehouses across the country.

In the Senate, Democrats flipped seven seats and now hold 54 to the Republican Party's 44. Two seats — nail-biting contests in Alaska and Mississippi — remain undeclared.

In the House, Democrats held 254 seats to the GOP’s 162 as of Saturday morning, comfortably passing the majority threshold of 218, with 19 races yet to be called, according to the Associated Press. The latest estimates show that the party is on track to win its largest majority since 2008. And there are still seats it could flip, including Colorado’s Fourth District, where Republican Rep. Lauren Boebert, a staunch Trump ally, trails Democrat Eileen Laubacher by about 3,200 votes with 97% of the vote counted, according to the AP.

There were also gubernatorial races, mayoral contests, ballot measures — and plenty of firsts. Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms of Georgia became the first Black woman elected governor in U.S. history, while Democrat Amy Acton became the first woman elected governor of Ohio. In Florida, Republican Byron Donalds became the state's first Black governor-elect. El-Sayed will be America's first Muslim senator.

In a big post-election shake-up, President Trump on Friday announced that Stephen Miller, a top deputy widely viewed as one of the most influential figures behind the administration's agenda, is replacing Susie Wiles as his chief of staff. Miller said he was "honored beyond words" to serve in his new role.

Earlier this week, Trump signaled he would work with Democrats during his remaining two years in office but said he wouldn't hesitate to use his veto power. Trump also acknowledged that the Iran war contributed to Republican losses, but defended his decision to pursue the conflict. "If I had to do it again, I'd have to do it again," he said, adding: "You can't let Iran have a nuclear weapon."

Vice President JD Vance, though, blamed the scale of GOP losses squarely on the war with Iran.

"The real reason we lost is obvious to almost everyone," he wrote in a post on X. "The reason we lost is the war."

The night-sky image so incredible the man behind it has been accused of using AI

A photograph showing thousands of satellites cross-hatching the night sky over New Zealand appeared so extraordinary the astrophotographer who captured it is fighting accusations it was created by AI.

To create his spectacular image – now viewed millions of times online – Brendan Larsen spent two hours in September snapping hundreds of photographs of the night sky over Mount Taranaki in the North Island.

Larsen, 51, says he set his camera up to take an unlimited number of eight-second-long shots, with a two-second gap in between each photo. “I left her running for two hours and captured 578 photos … That was the easy part.�

The hard part came next. Larsen spent about 45 hours layering the individual photos – each of which contained about 25 satellites – over one another, using Adobe Photoshop. Much of the time was spent painstakingly erasing stars, to reveal the satellites.

“I could start to see the pattern emerging and realised: ‘Wow, this looks really awesome.’ I knew if I carried on it would look even better and more impressive in terms of satellite numbers.�

The resulting image shows the sky inundated with about 1,400 satellites and 14,000 trails forming a dense crisscrossing pattern above the mountain.

When Larsen uploaded the image to his social media channels in mid-October, it quickly went viral, gaining him 15,000 new followers, clocking up tens of millions of views and igniting thousands of comments.

Some viewers dismissed the photo as AI – but Larsen understands why. “AI generating software is becoming so good it is becoming difficult to tell AI images from real images … especially if you’re not familiar with the location or with astrophotography,� he says. Still, it is “frustrating�.

It is also exasperating, he says, to see his image downloaded and recreated by AI, with obvious flaws.

In anticipation of the AI accusations and backlash, Larsen documented his creative process on video, which he hopes will also allow viewers to form an emotional connection to the landscape.

As a child Larsen was “absolutely blown away� by the number of stars over parts of rural New Zealand. But he has noticed an increase in light pollution and the number of satellites over the six years he has been photographing the sky.

Related: Total solar eclipse books out hotels two years in advance in New Zealand city

“It’s interesting and fascinating seeing satellites, but it’s also disturbing,� he says.

“I’ve got about 10,000 comments on my Facebook page … nine out of 10 of the comments are like: ‘Wow, beautiful photo, but horrifying, terrifying and really concerning about what’s happening to the night sky.’�

About 16,000 working satellites are circling the planet, alongside tens of thousands of defunct spacecrafts, rocket parts and debris from payloads breaking up.

Studies have warned that metal particles from space activities – such as rocket launches and satellite reentries – could affect atmospheric chemistry and the ozone layer, while the UN has warned increased space activity poses risks to ground safety, darkness and astronomy.

While satellites don’t yet overwhelm the sky to the naked eye, Larsen worries about the future state of the night sky. He hopes his image will ignite debate and reflection over how satellites can be used responsibly.

“We can raise awareness, and through that get a groundswell of support for protecting the night sky.�

Wisconsin trooper released from ICE custody after 'dramatic experience'

A 21-year-old South African-born Wisconsin State Patrol trooper who was detained Nov. 5 by federal immigration agents was released from custody Nov. 6, according to his attorney.

Attorney Marc Christopher confirmed to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that Carel Aaron Van Der Merwe, who was traveling to visit family with a valid work permit, had been released from the Dodge County Jail and was awaiting a ride from his supervisor, the head trooper in Tomah.

Christopher said Van Der Merwe was released under an order of supervision, which requires him to periodically check in with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. He will also likely be subject to electronic monitoring, potentially through an application on his cellphone rather than an ankle bracelet.

Christopher said he plans to speak with Van Der Merwe to discuss the next steps in his case. He expects Van Der Merwe will eventually share his experience publicly but wants to give him time to readjust following his release.

"I just told him I wanted him to get back, get reacclimated, just get settled, because I know he's gone through a very dramatic experience," Christopher said.

Van Der Merwe came to the U.S. from South Africa with his family on visas at age 14, Christopher said. His family has been waiting seven years for their asylum case to be heard.

Earlier, Christopher slammed U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement for detaining a Wisconsin law enforcement officer who has permission to work, saying he was "flabbergasted" by the agents' decision to use its resources to target Van Der Merwe.

"I almost can't even believe that they would be so brazen as to do this. But they are," Christopher said. "There's no reason for them to detain him other than to indiscriminately pick up as many people as they can."

Van Der Merwe, who lived in New Mexico with his family, wanted to serve in the U.S. military, but could not because he was not a permanent resident, Christopher said. He graduated with a degree in criminal justice in New Mexico, then researched states where he could do similar work with his status and found Wisconsin.

Van Der Merwe was living in Onalaska and working in Tomah for the Wisconsin State Patrol over the past year. His work authorization is valid until 2030.

Attorney disputes ICE's assertion about legal status

ICE's argument is that Van Der Merwe – as a teenager in the U.S. with his family – overstayed his visitor's visa.

"He entered the country in March 2019 with legal permission to stay until September 2019. In defiance of our nation’s laws, he overstayed his admission," a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson said in a statement. "Work authorization or a pending application do not confer legal status in the U.S."

Christopher pushed back on that assertion.

"That is just absurd and ridiculous," Christopher said. "They've been here lawfully. They have been waiting for their application to be adjudicated and to be decided by immigration."

The family, who are White South Africans, had applied for asylum on the grounds they were persecuted. A family member had been attacked, Christopher said.

Van Der Merwe did not decide to come to the U.S. himself, as he was brought by his parents, and he chose a career in law enforcement to serve his new country, Christopher said.

ICE agents detained him Nov. 5 at the Dane County Regional Airport just after he went through security, Christopher said. He was traveling to visit his family in New Mexico. Agents handcuffed him, shackled his legs and put him in a van and drove him to Dodge County Jail, which holds ICE detainees.

Christopher said it seems that the Transportation Security Administration tipped off ICE when he bought his ticket, and agents met Van Der Merwe at the airport. Christopher has heard of ICE making arrests at the Milwaukee and Appleton airports through similar tip-offs, he said.

Lawyer hopes Congress changes the way ICE can operate

Under the Trump administration, ICE has not been setting bond for detainees voluntarily unless a judge orders it. Trump administration policy changes have made many detainees ineligible to even seek bond and leave detention.

Christopher said he hopes Wisconsin's congressional delegation takes note of the case and institutes changes to the way ICE can operate. He was critical that ICE would use its resources to arrest Van Der Merwe, then hold him in custody.

"You're going to use your resources to go after this guy? You're going to use our tax dollars to detain this guy? It doesn't make any sense," Christopher said.

As part of its summer surge in street arrests in Milwaukee, ICE arrested a 20-year-old Milwaukee man, Giovanni Sosa, who had lived in the U.S. since age 4. In detaining him, ICE gave him paperwork that said – at age 4 – he had overstayed his visa. Sosa spent a month in detention at the Dodge County Jail as he waited for the chance to post bond.

Sophie Carson is a general assignment reporter who reports on religion and faith, immigrants and refugees and more. Contact her at scarson@gannett.com or 920-323-5758.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Wisconsin trooper released from ICE custody after 'dramatic experience'

Judge wants to know if Trump officials lied about plans for his D.C. golf course

WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge said Saturday she intends to appoint an ex-top federal prosecutor in the nation's capital during President Donald Trump's first term to investigate whether she was purposefully misled by lawyers and administration officials in a lawsuit challenging one of his prized Washington construction projects, the renovation of a historic public golf course along the Potomac River.

Jessie Liu, a former U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, would examine whether officials with the Interior Department and the National Park Service and attorneys with the Department of Justice violated ethics or misled U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes during the course of the case that was initiated in February by the DC Preservation League and two golfers.

The Republican administration plans to close the East Potomac Golf Course and park on Nov. 15 with the intention of constructing a “World Class, championship-level golf course that is capable of hosting major events." An injunction issued by Reyes last month temporarily bars the government from removing or damaging any additional trees on the course and the administration must give 10 days’ notice in writing before making any “irreparable modification� to any “forms or features� of the course while the lawsuit is active.

Reyes is giving each side a chance to be heard on her plan to name Liu as special master in the case. They must do so in writing by Friday, when the next court hearing in the dispute is scheduled.

Reyes, who was nominated by Democratic President Joe Biden, wants to know whether federal officials lied about the extent of renovation plans during months of hearings. She also wants to know if they were truthful about various steps they took, including cutting hundreds of trees early last month. She announced during a hearing Oct. 30 that she was starting a formal investigation of the government's conduct. Earlier in the case, she had rejected numerous motions from the plaintiffs to step in, saying she trusted the government attorneys.

As the city's chief federal prosecutor, Liu oversaw some of the matters referred to her office by then-special counsel Robert Mueller during his investigation into possible ties between Trump’s 2016 campaign and Russia. Trump later nominated her to be associate attorney general, the third-highest ranking Justice Department job.

Liu withdrew from consideration after running into opposition on the Republican-led Senate Judiciary Committee because of her past membership in a lawyers’ group that has supported abortion rights. She eventually resigned from the group because, she said previously, it took left-leaning positions, and she is now part of her own law firm, Liu Shur Kravis LLP.

David Super, a law professor at the Georgetown University Law Center, said the initiation of a formal investigation by a judge to look into the conduct of a trial's participants "can be a precursor to holding someone in contempt of court.�

Super said it also is a reflection “of the difficulty she had in determining who initiated the tree-cutting in defiance of the assurances DOJ provided. She doesn’t have the time to keep holding long, complex hearings and so wants a special master to narrow the issues.�

Reyes ordered the Oct. 30 hearing after multiple Truth Social posts by Trump indicated there were plans for the golf course and construction was expected to begin Nov. 15. Trump said the park would be closed for 15 months while work goes on.

The presidential posts, which began Oct. 18, created a tense dynamic in multiple court hearings afterward when administration officials could not confirm the existence of the plans under questioning from Reyes. She eventually asked whom she should trust. The Justice Department filed notice Oct. 28 that the plans were real.

___

Bedayn reported from Austin, Texas.

Trump officials weigh major overhaul of National Park and Fish and Wildlife services

The Trump administration is considering a major reorganization of the National Park Service and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, according to internal documents reviewed by The Washington Post.

Staff are meeting this week and next to discuss a “realignment� of the two agencies, the documents show. One meeting regarding the National Park Service will discuss “pending duty station changes,� referring to the locations where staff report to work. But the documents do not specify whether certain offices would be closed or moved, or whether any employees would be fired.

The Interior Department, which oversees the agencies, did not respond to a request for comment.

Public land advocates fear that the changes could further hurt agencies that have already seen major staffing cuts since Trump began efforts to shrink the federal government by hundreds of thousands of employees last year.

“I think from their perspective, it seems as though that they’re trying to find efficiencies by consolidating staff within DOI that maybe served different functions across these agencies,� said Ed Stierli, vice president of government affairs at the National Parks Conservation Association, an advocacy group. “But I think in reality, it just seems to be causing more confusion and chaos.�

While the administration has considered differing plans to overhaul the Park Service since last year, including one reported in September by the Washington Sun, plans to reorganize the Fish and Wildlife Service are more recent. Fish and Wildlife manages more than 500 National Wildlife Refuges across the country, spanning 93 million acres.

A Fish and Wildlife Service report published on Friday recommends the agency “reduce headquarters and regional office staffing and reallocate positions to refuge operations, prioritizing the people needed to manage habitat, maintain facilities, support public access and protect resources.�

An internal communication to Fish and Wildlife Service staff on Friday, reviewed by The Post, states that the recommendations in the report “give us a path forward� and that “our next responsibility is to turn them into practical actions.�

In March, the administration initiated a reorganization of the U.S. Forest Service, which includes relocating its headquarters from Washington to Salt Lake City and hundreds of employees with it. The plan would also close some research stations and regional offices as it transitions to state offices.

A judge has put that plan on hold, as well as a wider reorganization of the Agriculture Department that oversees it, amid legal challenges.

At the Park Service, the administration has withheld millions in funding and cut Park Service staff by about a quarter, sometimes leading to long lines, fewer tours and dirty bathrooms at parks.

“When you talk about changing duty stations for example, are they just trying to cripple this agency?� Stierli asked. “Why would you try and sow chaos into an agency that is already stretched well beyond capacity trying to fulfill its mission?�

Bill Wade, executive director of the Association of National Park Rangers, which represents current and former Park Service employees, said that agency employees have had to live with the uncertainty and stress that major restructuring might be coming, possibly including layoffs, since the launch of the DOGE Service last year.

Based on the limited information about the current reorganization being considered, “it’s too little to try to determine what the impact would be on the service or employees,� Wade said.

It is unclear whether the current reorganization plans for the National Park Service had been significantly revised from earlier proposals. Layoff plans last year at the National Park Service, which have not been independently verified by The Post, were ultimately never carried out.

Stierli said that the administration appeared to “pump the brakes� on the plans two months ago, but it may now be feeling a new sense of urgency to restructure the agency with Democrats about to take control of Congress.

“Come January, you’re going have a new Congress who’s very eager to do oversight and pry into the National Park Service to look and see how staff are being organized, where is the budget for the Park Service going,� Stierli said.

In spending bills, congressional Democrats could write in provisions demanding approval over any restructuring in agencies, or at least to be notified, he said.

“We’re certainly hopeful that Congress uses this oversight power here, because I think what’s highly unusual is there’s been zero transparency,� Stierli added. “When there is zero transparency, it creates this confusion.�

Rubio could be the GOP's answer for 2028, but Congress may complicate his path

Newly ascendant Democrats on Capitol Hill aren't planning to make it easy for Marco Rubio to ride to the GOP's rescue in 2028.

The secretary of State's appeal to Latinos and relatively strong standing in Washington may offer Republicans, battered by this week's midterm elections, hope that they can bridge their internal divides and hold onto the White House. "The number of people who want to draft Secretary of State Marco Rubio is staggering," former GOP House Speaker Newt Gingrich wrote Wednesday on social media.

But Democratic lawmakers are likely to make Rubio a top target for oversight and other hearings in the new Congress — grilling him on the Iran war, legally questionable strikes on alleged drug boats, deals related to Venezuelan oil and more, according to a House Democratic aide and a Senate Democratic aide familiar with the discussions. Similarly aggressive scrutiny from Republican lawmakers helped tarnish former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's image during the years before she ran for president in 2016.

Rubio, who also serves as national security adviser, has largely avoided the criticism aimed at President Donald Trump's Iran war and other major crises — but that doesn't absolve him of responsibility for administration failures, Democrats said.

"He belongs near the top of the list of people who must answer to congressional oversight," said the Democratic Senate aide, who, like others, was granted anonymity to discuss a sensitive issue.

Democrats are still mapping out their accountability strategy, so any plans at the moment are tenuous. They stress that their actions are not about 2028 but about fulfilling Congress' oversight duties, which they say Republicans failed to do during their time in charge. Democrats also are more interested in other Trump-related figures, especially Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth — a fellow rumored 2028 hopeful — who is facing a possible House impeachment vote this month.

Rubio, meanwhile, has downplayed talk that he would run for president. He told The New York Times on Thursday that he planned to serve as chief diplomat for Trump's full term, even as stories circulated in some news organizations that he was considering quitting.

But staying in office for any length of time makes it more likely Democrats will pursue oversight of his actions. It also puts him at a potential disadvantage compared with some 2028 hopefuls who have never served in the administration or, such as with Vice President JD Vance, are elsewhere in its ranks.

Democrats in Congress have a clear line of authority to compel Rubio — a Senate-confirmed Cabinet department chief — to testify, regardless of whether he remains in or leaves the administration. Should he refuse to testify, that gives Democrats even more ammunition for criticism.

In contrast, White House personnel, including the vice president, have traditionally been exempt from being hauled up to the Hill. And the Trump administration is likely to invoke such traditions, executive privilege or other measures to shield its staff from Hill hearings.

Asked about Democrats' planned oversight moves, a State Department official touted Rubio's leadership in executing Trump's foreign policy agenda.

"We will not only defend our record but proudly tout the historic foreign policy successes of the Trump Administration," said the official, granted anonymity to share how the department would respond to Democrats' demand for testimony.

The White House insisted Trump would be happy to partner with the same people he has antagonized for two years.

He is "willing to work with anyone to continue delivering victories for hardworking Americans," White House spokesperson Lauren Bis said. "If Democrats choose to pursue sham investigations and radical left policies, they are choosing to work against the American people."

Since the election drubbing, other potential 2028 candidates have tried to distance themselves from Trump's unpopular actions.

Vance released a statement blaming the Iran war as the main reason for the loss. Outgoing Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who ran for president in 2024, gave a lengthy interview in which he criticized Trump policies and said the midterms were an "extinction-level" event for the party.

Rubio has said little publicly since Tuesday's election, although he acknowledged to the Timesthat higher gas prices likely affected the vote. But he added that Trump deserved credit for making an unpopular choice on Iran.

That loyalty to the president has won him favor within the White House and among many of Trump's hardcore MAGA voters.

Despite his close alignment with the president, Rubio has also managed to cultivate appeal with more traditional Republicans, who believe he could help strengthen conventional conservatives.

"He'd make an excellent candidate and help the Republican Party return to small 'c' conservative values, in line with where the electorate is," said Ludovic Hood, a former longtime U.S. diplomat who recently left the State Department. "He's a savvy politician, a great communicator."

Prior to the election, Rubio held to State Department tradition and avoided the campaign until the final days when Trump briefly lured him onto the trail.

Asked about a potential Rubio bid, the State Department official echoed his denials, saying "those who reported this will be mocked in the coming weeks when Secretary Rubio is still proudly serving under President Trump."

Matthew Bartlett, a GOP strategist and former Trump appointee at the State Department, downplayed the likelihood of a Rubio campaign launch, saying he faced a nearly impossible task of disentangling from Trump's foreign policy failures.

"If you're in this Cabinet, you're wearing cement shoes," Bartlett said.

Even if Rubio did launch a 2028 bid, he's ill-equipped to respond to voter scrutiny over the war, Bartlett said. "Diplomatic talk may be appreciated among those that wear white wingtips," he said, "but in the town halls, straight talk is appropriate, and I'm not sure that you can give a straight answer on Iran right now."

But Rubio has changed his mind about whether to run for office before.

Buzz Jacobs, who advised Rubio during his 2016 presidential campaign, said that if Rubio decides to leave soon to run for president, he "has to navigate a careful exit from the administration, so it doesn't look like he's abandoning his duties at a time of war," while also ensuring he has the time he needs to fundraise and build a campaign.

Unusually for someone in his position, Rubio has taken a back seat on major portfolios, including the wars in Iran, Ukraine and Gaza. Vance and envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner have played bigger roles in those crises.

Rubio has instead focused largely on Latin America. He's overseeing U.S. efforts to topple the regime in Cuba, his ancestral homeland. He's also the main U.S. interlocutor for what's left of the regime in Venezuela after the Trump administration captured autocrat Nicolás Maduro.

Rubio may seem less politically scarred by the administration's struggles in places such as Iran. But some critics question why he didn't do more to course correct given his titles and responsibilities. Rubio's role as national security adviser in particular means he's supposed to coordinate major foreign policy moves across the government.

On Iran in particular, Rubio is "trying to keep his hands clean on this because he probably knows it's a politically bad issue. But he is responsible even if he's not out there running this every day," the Democratic House aide said.

In March, Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-N.Y.), the likely incoming chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, pushed a failed motion to subpoena Rubio to appear before the panel to talk about the Iran war.

Nearly half of Democratic respondents to a pre-midterm POLITICO poll said they wanted to see the House impeach Rubio.

Some Rubio supporters noted that conditions could change.

"If they can bring the Iran war to a successful conclusion between now and when people may vote, then Marco Rubio will look like an absolute genius," Jacobs said.

Some of Rubio's efforts in Latin America might be cast as potential successes, including the removal of Maduro from his perch in Caracas. The Latin America moves in particular might please many of his fellow Latinos in Florida and beyond. Latino votes proved critical in the midterm results this week.

But Democrats are questioning Rubio's long-term vision in Latin America, too.

Of particular interest is Rubio's role in Trump's efforts to battle drug cartels, which include U.S. military strikes on boats that some legal experts and senior Democrats say could amount to war crimes. There are also concerns about business deals the Trump administration and its allies are striking in Venezuela.

Curt Mills, executive director of the anti-interventionist American Conservative magazine and a vocal critic of the Iran war, marveled at Rubio's seeming invisibility in recent days.

"Is Rubio going to say that this midterm was about the war? Is he going to say anything? Is he going to do anything? Or is he just focused on himself and Latin America?" Mills asked.

Poland shooting leaves 6 dead and 16 wounded as minister calls it an 'act of terror'

KRAKOW, Poland (AP) — A Polish man with far-right views drove into a busy central square in Krakow on Saturday and opened fire, killing six people and injuring 15 others before police shot and wounded him, authorities said.

The attack, which Poland’s defense minister described as an “act of terror,� happened in Main Square, which is in the heart of Krakow’s Old Town and is a major tourist hub in the country’s second-largest city.

The 25-year-old attacker drove to multiple spots in the square and opened fire at each stop with an automatic weapon, authorities said. Although they didn’t release his name, Interior Minister Marcin Kierwiński said the man holds “very radical� and “ultranationalistic� views.

"Everything indicates that he was fascinated by far-right ideologies,� Kierwiński said at a news conference.

Hours after the attack, Prime Minister Donald Tusk said authorities found the bodies of three of the suspect's close family members — two women and a man — inside of his home in Ostrowiec Świętokrzyski, a city about 150 kilometers (93 miles) northeast of Krakow.

“We have the next acts of this tragedy,� Tusk told reporters.

Four women and two men were killed in the Krakow attack. At least three of the women were Polish, and one of the dead was a U.K. citizen, authorities said at a news conference. Police were still trying to identify the other two people who were killed.

Authorities said a total of 13 people were hospitalized in serious condition, though that figure may include the gunman, who underwent surgery after the attack.

It’s unclear how many of the injured were shot. Two of them were treated and released within hours of the mass shooting. Two police officers were among the injured, including one whose injuries were serious, Kierwiński said. Also injured in the attack were five non-Poles, police commander Marek Boroń said.

People were wounded at several locations

The attacker wore military-style fatigues and a bulletproof vest, and used a military-type long gun, Krakow police spokesperson Katarzyna Cisło said. Police found many other weapons and ammunition in his car. He kept firing at the police even after being shot himself, she said.

The attacker engaged in a “wild ride� around Main Square, which is why people were wounded at several locations, Cisło said.

Cisło added that the gunman acted alone and that the public is safe.

Krakow mayor �ukasz Gibała said the city will be in official mourning until Wednesday. He vowed that Krakow will remain open to visitors despite the tragedy.

“The square will belong to us again,� Gibała said in a video posted to X.

Mass shootings are rare in Poland

Videos posted on social media by witnesses show people running away from the square to take cover on small streets nearby, as well as first responders trying to resuscitate victims. In one video, a police officer is seen repeatedly shooting the attacker, who is lying on the street, only to later slowly collapse himself to the ground.

Photos showed a Polish Medical Air Rescue helicopter after it landed in the square.

It was not immediately clear whether the firearm used in Saturday’s attack, or the guns found in the perpetrator’s car, were legal. Around 411,000 people hold gun permits in Poland, which has a population of 37 million, and interest in gun ownership has been rising.

Mass shootings are uncommon in Poland. However, in mid-October three attacks at schools in the central province of Mazovia took place within four days, leaving one person dead and many wounded, including children.

In a post on X, Tusk praised the police officers who responded to Saturday’s tragedy. President Karol Nawrocki said his thoughts were with the victims, the wounded and their families.

A tram driver reported around 3 p.m. that his vehicle was shot at by a man in a moving car while passing nearby the main square, the Krakow municipal transport company said. The window to the tram driver’s cabin was shattered.

Animal rights group OTOZ Animals said the attacker also shot two horses. Both animals are alive, but one was grazed by a bullet and the other hit in the leg. White carriages drawn by horses are a main tourist attraction in the square.

Warsaw mayor Rafał Trzaskowski announced increased security measures, including road barriers, along main streets in the old town in the Polish capital in the aftermath of the Krakow attack.

———

Ciobanu reported from Warsaw, Poland, and Dazio reported from Berlin.

Trump's grip on his party is in question as Republicans reel from the midterm wipeout

WASHINGTON (AP) — Republicans aren't holding back.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis described this week's elections as an “extinction-level event� for the GOP. Texas Sen. Ted Cruz likened it to a “Watergate-level repudiation.� Former Vice President Mike Pence called it a “reckoning.�

For all the apocalyptic talk emerging from a midterm that relegated Republicans to their thinnest ranks on Capitol Hill in decades, there's little agreement on how the party should move forward.

A return to the bedrock fiscal and national security conservatism that defined Republicans under President Ronald Reagan risks alienating the more hard-line conservatives welcomed into the party under President Donald Trump under the “Make America Great Again� banner.

But leaning even further into Trump's coarse brand of politics could lead to more voter rejection.

“We have soul-searching to do," Alex Latcham, the executive director of the Senate Leadership Fund, which spent $810 million to support Republicans, said in an interview. “We need to first understand and honestly admit why we just endured a wipeout of this magnitude. And then we have to regroup and agree to a path forward.�

GOP faces questions about Trump's future role

As has been the case for the past decade, the central question is the role Trump will play in shaping the party's future. His insistence on loyalty reached a zenith this year as he intervened in GOP primaries and pressed voters to make the elections a referendum on his second term. He held dozens of rallies in the final weeks of the campaign for candidates, most of whom lost their races.

Since Tuesday's election, he's refused to acknowledge any responsibility, placing blame on the candidates. His public events have focused on his pet projects in Washington, which have proven unpopular with voters. On Friday, he elevated Stephen Miller, the architect of some of his most contentious policies, to White House chief of staff.

In an interview, Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt, a Republican, said the election results were “shocking� but that Trump could still steer the conversation around issues such as immigration. The governor described the GOP's current dynamic as a natural process for a party whose leader is deep in his second term.

“It just tells you that the American people, after 10 years, they're pretty much tired of whoever's in office,� Stitt said. “I think people want a little more stability. They want people to be nice to people, to say, 'Hey, we’re all Americans.'�

Others were more blunt.

Longtime conservative commentator Tucker Carlson said the midterms marked “the end of the Trump era." John Sununu, a Republican who lost his bid for a Senate seat in New Hampshire, blamed Trump.

"It seems like he or his family is in on every transaction and deal that goes on in Washington,� Sununu told John Kasich, a former Republican congressman from Ohio, on SiriusXM. “Those two things, I think, caused people to say, ‘You know, I just can’t vote for a Republican while he’s still in office.’�

Republican infighting is likely to intensify

The GOP infighting is poised to intensify quickly.

When Republicans return to Capitol Hill next week, they'll have to choose between Reps. Steve Scalise of Louisiana and Jim Jordan of Ohio to lead the party in the House. They may weigh whether to impeach Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. There could also be tough votes on defense spending and keeping the federal government open after Dec. 11.

Already a leadership fight is brewing at the Republican National Committee, where there are early conversations about limiting Trump’s influence in picking the next chair. KC Crosbie, currently the co-chair, circulated a letter this week calling the midterms a “serious setback� and announcing plans to run for chair at the committee’s January meeting in Arizona.

Trump announced his support Friday for the party's current chair, Joe Gruters.

That's to say nothing of the emerging contest for the 2028 Republican presidential nomination. Vice President JD Vance, seen as a leading contender, will likely face a broad range of opponents if he enters the race. Stitt is among the Republicans calling for a “big open primary.�

“I don't think we should crown anybody,� he said.

There will be pressure to revive the coalition of voters, particularly Latinos, who have lifted the party to success in previous elections but swung to Democrats this week. Former Rep. Carlos Curbelo, R-Fla., said he thought Secretary of State Marco Rubio is best positioned to win Latinos.

“The two main constituencies that Republicans have to quickly regain are white suburban voters and Hispanic voters,� Curbelo said in an interview. “Vance was out on the campaign trail this year and it doesn't appear that he was able to move the needle in terms of Hispanic voters.�

A representative for Vance didn't comment on that characterization.

Broad election fallout for the GOP

Still, the fallout for the GOP is broad, according to The AP Voter Poll, an expansive survey of about 80,000 voters in all 50 states.

Younger Republican voters who supported the Republican candidate in their House race were less likely to approve of the way Trump is handling his job as president, and more likely to say he worsened the economy with his policies.

About two-thirds of Republican voters under 30 said they approved of how Trump was handling the presidency, compared with about 9 in 10 Republican voters age 65 and older. About one-third of younger GOP voters said Trump had worsened the country’s economic conditions, compared with about 2 in 10 older Republican voters.

The war with Iran also appeared to divide Republican voters, with about 6 in 10 Republican voters under 45 saying the U.S. made the right decision in taking military action against Iran. That rose to about 8 in 10 among Republican voters who were 45 and older.

Young Republican voters were more likely to say the U.S. support for Israel was “too strong.� Roughly half of Republican voters under 30 said the country’s backing of Israel was “too strong,� compared with about 1 in 10 voters 65 and older.

Despite rosy outlooks from top Republicans including Trump and House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., in the final weeks of the campaign, Republican strategists had long seen the country's confidence in the party unraveling.

In late August, the Senate Leadership Fund convened a donor retreat in Laguna Beach, California, where Latcham told the group that Republicans had lost the confidence of voters on handling the cost of living and the economy, according to two Republican Senate campaign sources who attended the event. They spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss a private meeting.

In defeat, Republicans are trying to take a broader view, knowing that it may take several election cycles before they one day return to power.

Rep. Christopher Smith was reelected to his 24th term this week and is New Jersey's last Republican in Congress. He took a long view on the party's current struggles.

“The pendulum swings back and forth,� he told reporters. “These are cycles.�

___

Associated Press writers Steve Peoples, Kevin Freking and Linley Sanders contributed to this report.

The Trump admin wants underwater data centers. 1 non-profit is already preparing.

While Elon Musk has often touted putting datacenters in space, reports suggest that another geographic area may soon become a widespread target: our lakes and oceans.

Two underwater datacenters are already in operation off the coast of China, and recent reports suggest that the Trump administration is considering plans for four proposed underwater, sealed-pod datacenters to be built off the shores of Maine and Alaska.

At a campaign rally in Ohio last month, Donald Trump said of datacenters: “There’s so much money to be made for Ohio … they’ll go to China … we want them.�

Underwater iterations are particularly attractive to tech companies as they largely eliminate community opposition and controversy around datacenters in residential areas on land. In theory, underwater datacenters could also significantly cut down on utility costs, another issue that’s currently riling communities across the country.

A Microsoft project set up off the coast of northern Scotland in 2018 found that after two years, server failures were reduced by 87% compared with on-land datacenter equivalents. Microsoft executives saw the project, which ended after two years, as an unmitigated success.

That makes the cool, salt-free waters of the Great Lakes, home to 30 million people in major cities such as Chicago, Toronto and Detroit, potentially attractive to datacenter companies.

A spokesperson for the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) said: “The EPA supports development of data center infrastructure that is essential to remaining the world leader in Super Intelligence while using its statutory authorities to protect water quality.�

But the environmental consequences of any similar project in the freshwater Great Lakes, which those tens of millions of people depend on for drinking water every day, could be significant. Local environmental activists are already worried and sounding the alarm – even though no underwater datacenter projects are currently proposed for the region.

For them, they think it is better to be prepared than surprised, given the high stakes of the ecologically sensitive ecosystem.

“We are concerned because if you think about what a datacenter does, it throws off a lot of heat. Lake Erie already has an issue with harmful algal blooms, and they develop because of heat, not only because of fertilizers and agricultural runoff,� said John Lipaj of the Lake Erie Foundation, a non-profit based in Ohio.

The floor of Lake Erie on the US side falls under the jurisdiction of the state of Ohio. In the past, its state government, where Republicans hold a supermajority, proposed a law making it easier for datacenter companies to discharge wastewater into public waterways. That measure was denied by the state’s EPA last July following a public outcry. Of the eight US Great Lakes states, only New York currently has a temporary state-wide moratorium on datacenter construction. That ends in mid-2027.

“We’re also concerned about the possibility of contamination and leaks. These have not been around a long time,� said Lipaj.

“We are concerned about the types of fluid contained in a datacenter, the batteries and electrical equipment. These are all things that could lead to a catastrophic failure that we don’t want happening in the Great Lakes.�

Lake Erie is home or close to major cities such as Cleveland, Detroit and Buffalo and is already by far the warmest of the five Great Lakes during summer months. It also ranks as one of the most polluted large lakes in the country in large part due to agricultural runoff in its western basin. A number of fish species are under threat due to the lake’s warming trend.

“Warm water can impact aquatic life and ecosystems in a number of ways. One immediate effect is what is known as a thermal shock,� said Helena Volzer of the Alliance for the Great Lakes, an environmental group based in Chicago.

“Aquatic organisms are highly sensitive to temperature changes, and even a small, rapid increase of just 2-5F can be dramatic for the aquatic ecosystem. When a facility releases warm water, it can alter metabolism and increase oxygen demand, reduce dissolved oxygen availability, disrupt food webs [and] force fish to move away from preferred habitats.�

On 3 November, residents of Conneaut, a Lake Erie community of about 12,000 people an hour’s drive north-east of Cleveland, voted in favor of a charter amendment to prohibit the construction of large datacenters in its area.

But the idea of offshore underwater datacenters is not a popular one here.

“Being one of the largest freshwater sources in the world, I would be very much for protecting that resource,� said Mariana Branch, a Conneaut council member who lives a short distance from the Lake Erie shoreline. Branch said she hadn’t previously been aware of the idea of datacenters operating underwater.

“Technology is moving so quickly, it’s difficult for cities to keep up with,� she said.

Still, some suggest that following Microsoft’s lead in Scotland may have some merit considering the public opposition to on-land equivalents; and, unlike the open ocean, there are no large fauna in the Great Lakes ecosystems.

“They require a lot of energy for cooling … one of the biggest advantages of these underwater datacenters is the low cooling cost [associated]. They don’t have to spend a lot to cool the servers,� said Nir Kshetri, a professor of emerging technologies at the University of North Carolina Greensboro.

“Datacenters have been a big issue for communities and in the recent elections. Also, datacenters don’t have to worry about any latency problems because they can be located close to large population centers where they are needed. A lake is a great place to do a datacenter. Cold water is even better.�

However, the Great Lakes are not without significant challenges to any such project.

Last winter saw one of the most extensive Great Lakes freeze-ups in decades, with almost all of Lake Erie and up to half of the four other lakes freezing over up to several feet deep. Experts say it isn’t clear to what extent ice cover could affect underwater projects.

What’s more, a Microsoft spokesperson said: “We have no plans to deploy an underwater datacenter in any location at this time,� and: “Our focus today is on building and operating datacenters responsibly on land.�

A spokesperson for Ohio’s EPA said it had not yet received any applications to permit an underwater datacenter in its part of Lake Erie.

For its part, Lipaj says the Lake Erie Foundation has contacted state representatives and state senators in New York, Ohio and Michigan to discuss the issue.

“Whether or not they happen, [we’re saying] let’s propose to state legislatures in Great Lakes states that they consider that this may be coming down the line and let’s get some regulations in place before the datacenter developers make their proposals and then state legislators are scrambling. That’s what we’re trying to avoid. We’re exercising an abundance of caution,� he said.

“The Great Lakes states should take some leadership in this, get the regulations written so that nothing is forced on them.�

Stephen Miller pushed for 3,000 ICE arrests a day. Now he's Trump's chief of staff.

Washington — Top Trump adviser Stephen Miller, who is set to take over the White House chief of staff role on Monday, has driven President Trump's most controversial immigration policies during both of his administrations. 

Mr. Trump announced the staffing shake-up on Friday, calling Miller one of his "most trusted" advisers. Miller replaces Susie Wiles, who has been his chief of staff throughout his second term. 

The move comes after Republicans suffered crippling losses in the midterm elections and as Democrats plan sweeping investigations into the administration's actions, including its immigration enforcement policies. 

Miller was the architect behind many of those policies and also championed the administration's immigration enforcement expansion, which has been supported by approximately $170 billion that congressional Republicans allocated for immigration enforcement and border security in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which became law in July 2025. 

During Mr. Trump's first term, Miller helped develop and publicly defend the administration's executive order that restricted entry by nationals of several Muslim-majority countries. The travel ban led to protests around the U.S. and legal challenges. A third iteration of the ban was upheld by the Supreme Court in 2018. 

He was a leading supporter of the administration's 2018 zero-tolerance immigration policy, which resulted in thousands of family separations, and he pressed for dramatic reductions in refugee admissions. The administration repeatedly lowered the annual refugee admissions ceiling, ultimately setting it at 15,000 for fiscal year 2021, a record low at the time. Under former President Barack Obama, the ceiling was 110,000 for fiscal year 2017. 

Miller also advocated penalizing legal immigrants who received public benefits and making it harder for them to obtain citizenship.  

In Mr. Trump's second term, Miller pushed Immigration and Customs Enforcement to make at least 3,000 immigration arrests per day. In May 2025, Miller publicly demanded a dramatic increase in daily arrests, placing pressure on ICE leadership and expanding enforcement beyond immigrants who had been convicted of serious crimes. 

He also proposed that the National Guard be deployed to support mass deportations. 

Miller's arrest targets were part of a sweeping expansion of enforcement in communities, workplaces and immigration courts. Detentions of immigrants without criminal histories rose sharply, and increased ICE activity sparked protests across the country.  

The longtime Trump adviser also championed the use of a wartime law — the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 — to bypass due process and quickly deport alleged Venezuelan gang members to El Salvador, where they were held in a notorious maximum-security prison, known as CECOT. The deportations set off a legal battle, and the Supreme Court blocked the government from immediately deporting the Venezuelans without giving them an opportunity to challenge their removal. 

As part of the administration's deportation efforts, Miller has supported an aggressive expansion of third-country deportations. The administration has deported immigrants to countries where they have no citizenship or family ties, including several African nations. 

In May 2025, Miller said the administration was actively considering suspending the constitutional mechanism that allows detainees to challenge their confinement in court. 

At a March 2026 conference in Miami, Miller argued that military force, rather than traditional criminal law enforcement alone, was needed to defeat cartels. 

Miller appeared alongside Mr. Trump in the Oval Office this summer as he signed executive orders to refuse citizenship to some children born in the United States, after the Supreme Court struck down his earlier executive order aiming to end birthright citizenship.