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By Steven Frank
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President Donald Trump said Friday that he believes he can work with Democrats after their sweeping midterm victories, including potentially on immigration, even as he praised incoming White House Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, the architect of some of his administration's most hard-line immigration policies, as an "MVP."
Speaking to reporters after attending the UP.Summit near Kennedy Space Center in Florida, Trump was asked what Democratic-led initiatives he could get behind.
"I think a lot," Trump said. "I mean, I said before, immigration is one, the tax cuts. There may be certain things having to do with taxes to make it more convenient and better. A lot of economic development that we can do."
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"I think we could do a lot of things together, actually," he added. "A lot of them are about common sense also."
His comments came hours after Trump announced that Miller would replace outgoing Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, elevating one of the most influential and uncompromising figures in his administration following Republicans' bruising defeat in Tuesday's midterm elections.
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The selection of Miller could complicate Trump's stated hopes of finding common ground. USA Today described Miller as an immigration hawk who has championed Trump's mass-deportation campaign and noted that he has shown little inclination to work with Democrats.
Democratic leaders immediately attacked the appointment. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said Democrats would "fight him every step of the way," while House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, who is expected to become speaker, called Miller a "reckless extremist" and said he should be fired rather than promoted.
Trump Calls Miller a 'Great Fighter'
Trump offered an emphatic endorsement of Miller when asked Friday about a characterization of his longtime aide as a "wartime consigliere."
"He's a great fighter," Trump said. "He's been with me right from the beginning, 2015, with me from before 2016."
Trump called Miller "very loyal" and "smart," adding: "He's been an MVP every year."
Miller, 41, has been a powerful force behind Trump's immigration agenda. During his second term, Miller has championed mass deportations and helped drive the administration's effort to end birthright citizenship. His influence has also extended into foreign policy and other areas of the administration.
That record makes Trump's reference to immigration as a potential area of cooperation particularly notable.
Democrats have reacted to Miller's promotion as a sign that Trump is doubling down rather than moderating after the election. Schumer said Trump had "learned nothing from his historic defeat," while Jeffries described Miller as a "dangerous xenophobe."
Miller's promotion follows Wiles' resignation after Republicans lost control of Congress. Trump said earlier Friday that the administration had to "make some moves" following the election.
Trump Offers Postmortem of Republican Losses
Trump also offered a fresh assessment Friday of what he feels went wrong for Republicans, directing some of his frustration toward the Senate and its failure to advance legislation.
"We had a bad election because of a few things," Trump said.
"One thing was not getting things approved in the Senate," he added, while also pointing to higher oil prices.
Trump was particularly frustrated about legislation stalling in the chamber.
"The Senate is getting nothing passed, and it's just killing our country," he said. "That means Democrats and Republicans are just not getting anything done."
Trump described the Senate as a "roadblock" and said voters had noticed the lack of legislative progress.
"Our voters saw that," he said. "And that's one of the problems we had, in my opinion."
He singled out the SAVE America Act, legislation backed by Republicans that would impose proof-of-citizenship requirements for voter registration, arguing that its failure to pass hurt the party politically.
Trump stopped short of placing the blame personally on Senate Majority Leader John Thune, whom he described as "a good man," but said the Republican leader needed to "get things done."
The remarks expand on explanations Trump offered in the immediate aftermath of Tuesday's election. He previously cited oil prices and Republican candidates and emphasized that he himself had not appeared on the ballot.
Trump Blames Democratic Wins for Market Rout
Trump also pointed to the stock market as evidence, in his view, of a negative reaction to the Democratic victories.
"When they heard that the Democrats won that election, the market dropped $3 trillion, the highest amount in history," Trump said.
The claim refers to Thursday's steep market sell-off, but Trump's assertion that the Democratic victory triggered the losses is disputed by the broader market picture. The downturn was led heavily by technology and semiconductor shares amid concerns about artificial intelligence valuations and data-center investment.
Trump predicted the losses would be temporary.
"It'll level up and we'll do great things," he said.
His comments nevertheless highlighted the unusual political landscape facing the White House after Tuesday's vote: Trump is blaming Democrats and legislative gridlock for some of the problems confronting Republicans while simultaneously saying he is ready to work with the party that will control Capitol Hill.
With Miller now preparing to run the White House staff, Democrats appeared less optimistic about the prospects for cooperation.
Schumer said Miller's elevation showed Trump was "doubling down" following the election, while Jeffries said Democrats would oppose the administration's immigration agenda.
Trump, however, struck a different tone when asked Friday about working across the aisle.
"I'm very much open to it," he said.
Newsweek’s reporters and editors used Martyn, our AI assistant, to produce this story. Learn more about Martyn here. Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Edward T. Cummins
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