Trump doubles down on everything that lost him the midterms

Donald Trump speaks to reporters on Air Force One as Stephen Miller and Karoline Leavitt watch on July 29, 2025. | Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

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Welcome to The Logoff: President Donald Trump is doubling down after a midterm annihilation. 

What happened? On Friday afternoon, Trump announced that longtime aide Stephen Miller would take over as White House chief of staff, replacing Susie Wiles. In a post to Truth Social, Trump said that Miller would start on Monday, but the change appears to be effective more or less immediately — Wiles has already resigned. 

Why the change? Trump was reportedly angry with Wiles over the GOP’s collapse in the midterm elections, which saw Democrats winning up and down the ballot even in traditionally deep-red parts of the country. 

Trump, for his part, told reporters on Friday that Wiles had “done a very good job.” But, he added, “we gotta make moves. Sometimes in life, you have to make moves.”

What should I know about Miller? Miller is currently the White House deputy chief of staff for policy, as well as homeland security adviser. More importantly, he’s the architect and engine of some of Trump’s most vicious immigration policies, including family separation (during the first Trump term) and ICE’s current campaign of indiscriminate, militarized immigration enforcement. 

He’s also an ally of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who has to be feeling a little bit better about his imperiled job (though it won’t keep Hegseth from facing impeachment in the near future).

What does this mean for the Trump presidency? More of the same, cranked up to 11. Miller is as hardline as they come, and he’s certain to push Trump to be even more aggressive on immigration and attempts to use the machinery of government to attack their shared political enemies. 

It’s all going to be extraordinarily unpopular, if Tuesday’s midterm results are anything to go by — but with just over two years left in the White House, there’s little reason to believe that Miller and Trump won’t try to push the power of the presidency to its breaking point.

And with that, it’s time to log off…

Let’s end the week on a high note with this piece from my colleague Christian Paz, who writes that “the decency was the point” for voters and Democratic candidates alike in the 2026 midterms. You can read it here with a gift link.

If you’d prefer something even lighter to head into the weekend, I also recommend the Smithsonian’s cheetah cam. Enjoy, have a great weekend, and we’ll see you on Monday!