Welcome to the online version From a political deskThis is an evening newsletter that brings you the latest reports and analysis from the NBC News Politics team, from the White House, Capitol Hill and the campaign.
In today's version, we have a deep coverage of Stephen Miller, one of the few "untouchable" officials at the White House. Plus, spokesman Mike Johnson is still fighting for enough Republican votes to commemorate the party’s “big and beautiful bills.”
- Adam Wollner
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- Adam Wollner
No White House official has accumulated greater influence beyond President Donald Trump, a 39-year-old anti-immigrant crusador whose brain and naked strategies have been deployed to drive the governor’s agenda as prime minister.
Not Vice President JD Vance. Not Chief of Staff Suzy Wells. Not someone else.
White House Deputy Commissioner of Policy Miller has signed numerous executive orders for Trump to sign his first few months, from the theme of declaring a national emergency at the southern border to the demolition of the federal government’s diversification plans and the withdrawal of the United States from the World Health Organization.
"Stephen is the president's ID card," said a former Trump adviser. "He has been there for a while. He just had the leverage and strength to fully realize it."
What's in the title: Miller's agent title is not fair to his influence in the White House.
In a signal exchange reported by the Atlantic in March, Miller silenced Vice President JD Vance’s questioning a military strike in Yemen, saying Trump had given a “green light.” He gained so much power on such a broad policy that Trump told NBC News’ host Kristen Welker in an interview that if he appointed Miller as national security adviser, usually with a high-profile and highly consensus role in any West Wing, it would be a “relegation”.
"Stephen is much taller than that on the totem pole," Trump said.
Trump's senior adviser confirmed that when Trump said Miller to Miller, he "means it." "I don't know there is no field of policy that hasn't been sought for his guidance. The president may not always have a complete grasp of what he wants, but his opinions are always heard."
"hand off": Miller’s wife, Katie Miller, is a longtime Elon Musk confidante who works on his team of governors, and the couple develops close working relationships with the world’s wealthiest people.
One Miller Ally said Katie Miller has become a powerful force within the administration, with Millers along with White House Personnel Director Sergio Gor being the only "untouchable" member of Trump's White House team.
'Uh': Even those who praised Miller in the interview were unwilling to be sure how they would infuriate him or the hard ground would seek reward. A senior Republican aide recalled that as a Capitol Hill staffer, he threatened to keep activists out when their boss was not behind his position.
When informing us that a story about Miller was being told, a senior White House official sent a text message: "Oh."
This profile comes from interviews and text exchanges, with more than a dozen White House officials, lawmakers and Trump world figures who are familiar with Miller and his work. Read the full story here →
Speaker Mike Johnson, R-la. Ways are being explored to appease two rival factions that have become the biggest obstacle in a narrow House majority, providing a huge bill to President Donald Trump’s agenda.
have Republicans representing high tax blue area Who wants higher state and local tax breaks, called salt. The current version of the legislation raises the cap to $30,000, from a single filer of $10,000. But that's not high enough for pro-Salt Republicans.
Then there is Conservative hardcore They pushed for a steeper Medicaid cut. They hope that the work requirements for health care programs will begin earlier than 2029 as required by the bill.
After meeting with the Salt Caucus Republicans and the Tough Freedom Caucus members, Johnson suggested that those aspects might have some room for swing.
"I'm a firm believer that we can adjust the dial, so to speak, so we can come to an agreement that will meet the standards that everyone has and we can move forward with that."
“If you do more on salt, you have to find more savings. So these are the dials, metaphorical dials I’m talking about,” he said. “We try to do this in a deficit neutral way, and that’s what we’ve always made.”
Asked if Republicans will speed up Medicaid job requirements to extract greater savings in the revised plan, Johnson replied: “It’s all on the table.”
“That’s the compromise that can work,” said Rep. Tim Burchett, one of the conservative tough hard-working men.
Trouble brewing? But Johnson might have a problem: the House Budget Committee, which plans to bring together a package that the various committees passed on Friday. Rep. Ralph Norman, RC, Chip Roy, R-Texas and Josh Brechen of R-Okla. Republicans can only afford one defector.
Johnson still expressed optimism that he could drag the extra billion-dollar package to the finish line before his self-imposed Memorial Day weekend deadline.
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At the moment, it's all political desks. Today's newsletter was compiled by Adam Wollner and Ben Kamisar.
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