Who Actually Holds Power in the Trump Administration?

Garrett Graff: “The full Signal chat provides some of the most ‘real’ indications of where power lies in the Trump administration and how decision-making happens—and none of it is pretty.”

“The answer is shocking, but perhaps not surprising: Donald Trump isn’t that engaged in the policy of his administration, JD Vance is weak and powerless, and the only one that matters is Stephen Miller.”

“I wrote earlier this week about how fascinating it was to see how none of the senior officials seemed all that clear about what Donald Trump himself had wanted. The subsequent leaks of the full conversation only underscore how Stephen Miller — who, mind you, is not a national security official who would be normally involved in a military strike overseas — is the one who shuts down the debate over whether the action moves ahead: Miller, in fact, is only added to the group after people aren’t sure of the president’s wishes.”