Lame Duck: Trump names Miller chief of staff as Democrats launch oversight push

President Donald Trump named Stephen Miller as his new White House chief of staff on Friday, a decision made three days after Republicans lost control of Congress in the midterm elections.

The appointment signals a hardline approach for the remaining two years of the administration. Miller, who designed the party's strict immigration policies, replaces the previous leadership team during what is known as the lame duck period.

Trump posted on Truth Social on Sunday that the election results represented a large step back for the country. He cited the stock market decline following the vote as evidence of the shift. The post promised a return to power in the future.

Incoming House Speaker Hakeem Jeffries said on a call with ABC that he supports moving to remove Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. Hegseth served as a key architect for the military campaign in Iran that began in February. Jeffries described Hegseth's actions as a reckless and costly war of choice.

A Republican lawmaker is expected to introduce an impeachment motion for Hegseth as early as Monday. Jeffries stated that Hegseth abused his power and undermined national security. He said the defense secretary has to go.

Trump defended Hegseth on Sunday by arguing that the secretary won two wars. He referenced the January raid on Venezuela that removed President Nicholas Maduro and the ongoing conflict in Iran. Trump claimed the United States won the Venezuela operation in 48 minutes and captured hundreds of billions of dollars.

Attorney General Todd Blanche told CNN that the Justice Department will actively defend administration officials against congressional oversight. Blanche, a former personal lawyer for the president, said the department would protect Stephen Miller if Democrats move to investigate him. He characterized the congressional probes as an effort to lead rather than just conduct oversight.

Robert Garcia, the ranking Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, countered Blanche's stance. Garcia told CNN that the executive branch is not above accountability under the Constitution. He said Blanche's primary goal appears to be protecting the president and his cabinet. Garcia vowed that Democrats would investigate corruption and would not be intimidated by the administration's response.

With control of both chambers of Congress, the new Democratic leadership can summon officials and demand documents. Committees are expected to examine the Trump family's cryptocurrency dealings, government contracts involving Elon Musk, federal agency cuts, and the conduct of the war in Iran.