After a Crushing Defeat, Trump Doubles Down

After a stinging rebuke last week at the polls, President Trump announced that he would elevate Stephen Miller — a driving force behind some of the most polarizing policies of Mr. Trump’s second term — to chief of staff.
Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan, White House reporters for The New York Times, explain what Mr. Miller’s appointment reveals about the president’s priorities for his final two years in office.
Guests:
• Maggie Haberman (nytimes.com/by/maggie-haberman), a White House correspondent for The New York Times.
• Jonathan Swan (nytimes.com/by/jonathan-swan), a White House reporter for The New York Times.
Background reading: After midterm election losses, the Republican Party has entered its most uncertain moment in years. (nytimes.com/2026/11/08/us/politics/republican-…)
The new chief of staff is poised to push the limits of the president’s power. (nytimes.com/2026/11/07/us/politics/stephen-mil…)
Photo: Haiyun Jiang/The New York Times
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For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily?smid=pc-thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday.

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