Caitlin Dickerson

People did not expect him to win.

And so this narrative solidified within that first Trump White House that Miller was responsible for Trump's success.

I think everything that I've reported suggests that since then, Trump has held on to that commitment to immigration and that commitment to Miller, not because he is personally passionate about the issue.

And I would say the same is probably true for people like Kristi Noem and Pam Bondi.

You know, these are people who want to support the president and his consolidation of power.

and are latching on to immigration because it seems to be working.

I mean, they believe that that's why Trump has been so successful as a politician.

So really, we're going to have to look at the midterms and the next presidential election to see how much that holds.

I do think that populist message, as misleading as it was, was very powerful and impactful to the electorate.

But you are seeing the polling change.

And, you know, at a certain point,

When you create the image of these boogeymen and you promise this unprecedented deportation campaign, you're going to have to do it.

And then the untruths that you've been spreading are going to become obvious.

I mean, you don't want to be alarmist, of course.

I know you don't either.

But I don't think that it's overstated in the fact that the president himself has said that he'd like to unleash American troops within the interior of the country.

But I think we do have to believe Trump when he says what he wants to do.

And he has not gone so far as to say he plans to unleash a domestic paramilitary force.

But I think he's also said lots of things that come very close to that.

We have to take those seriously.