Jonathan Swan

Defending these players at a time when... You know, the prevailing wisdom at Duke University was that these players were guilty.

And these lacrosse players were declared innocent. And this was a really important moment for him because here he was taking a contrarian position against the prevailing liberal orthodoxy, and he ended up being vindicated.

And these lacrosse players were declared innocent. And this was a really important moment for him because here he was taking a contrarian position against the prevailing liberal orthodoxy, and he ended up being vindicated.

He goes to Washington, he goes to Capitol Hill, and he ends up working for Senator Jeff Sessions of Alabama. Senator Sessions, in the early 2010s, was... A pretty fringe figure in the Republican Senate conference. If you take your mind back to the 2012 election, Barack Obama beats Mitt Romney.

He goes to Washington, he goes to Capitol Hill, and he ends up working for Senator Jeff Sessions of Alabama. Senator Sessions, in the early 2010s, was... A pretty fringe figure in the Republican Senate conference. If you take your mind back to the 2012 election, Barack Obama beats Mitt Romney.

And when the Republican Party, after that election, sat down, you know, the grand figures in the party got in a room together and said, what happened? What do we need to change, etc. ? Their famous autopsy basically said, we need to be nicer to immigrants. We need to do more to reach out to Hispanics. And that was the prevailing wisdom on Capitol Hill among Republicans.

And when the Republican Party, after that election, sat down, you know, the grand figures in the party got in a room together and said, what happened? What do we need to change, etc. ? Their famous autopsy basically said, we need to be nicer to immigrants. We need to do more to reach out to Hispanics. And that was the prevailing wisdom on Capitol Hill among Republicans.

Yes, but very specifically by being more compassionate, quote unquote, when it came to immigration, that sentiment became operationalized in Congress. So what you had was the so-called gang of eight, which was a bipartisan group of senators who got together, and figured out a pathway to comprehensive immigration reform.

Yes, but very specifically by being more compassionate, quote unquote, when it came to immigration, that sentiment became operationalized in Congress. So what you had was the so-called gang of eight, which was a bipartisan group of senators who got together, and figured out a pathway to comprehensive immigration reform.

And you had Republicans like Marco Rubio played a really significant role in this bill. So they came up with legislation that sought a pathway to citizenship for millions of people, who are in the country illegally, and they also took some measures to tighten border security.

And you had Republicans like Marco Rubio played a really significant role in this bill. So they came up with legislation that sought a pathway to citizenship for millions of people, who are in the country illegally, and they also took some measures to tighten border security.

And Stephen Miller and Jeff Sessions identified this bill as the big fight that they were going to wage for the future of the party, for the future of the country, and Stephen Miller became...

And Stephen Miller and Jeff Sessions identified this bill as the big fight that they were going to wage for the future of the party, for the future of the country, and Stephen Miller became...

kind of famous in Washington circles for haranguing reporters late at night with emails, with lurid stories about immigrants committing crimes, for working behind the scenes with conservative media, for working every lawmaker he could. And it really was a sort of David and Goliath in terms of the politics of it in Washington and the money.

kind of famous in Washington circles for haranguing reporters late at night with emails, with lurid stories about immigrants committing crimes, for working behind the scenes with conservative media, for working every lawmaker he could. And it really was a sort of David and Goliath in terms of the politics of it in Washington and the money.

So even Miller and Jeff Sessions at that time were very much a minority voice in the party among the elites in Washington. But They were far more in tune with the Republican voters, with the base.

So even Miller and Jeff Sessions at that time were very much a minority voice in the party among the elites in Washington. But They were far more in tune with the Republican voters, with the base.

Yes, and they were right. Because once they activated, you know, this opposition movement, these lawmakers in the House, their phones were being lit up by angry voters, angry constituents saying, do not do this. And the bill never went through the House. So they killed it.

Yes, and they were right. Because once they activated, you know, this opposition movement, these lawmakers in the House, their phones were being lit up by angry voters, angry constituents saying, do not do this. And the bill never went through the House. So they killed it.

No question. The Washington Republican establishment at that time saw Stephen Miller as an irritant and dismissed him. And, you know, it's interesting now, you know, when my colleagues, Maggie Haberman, Charlie Savage, David Fahrenthold, and myself reported out this story, you know, you talk to people who were in influential positions back then, they can't believe where he's ended up.