White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller was grilled by CNN’s Kasie Hunt over whether the Trump administration ignored orders from a district judge to stop the deportation of Venezuelan gang members from the U.S. to El Salvador.
In a heated interview on Monday, Hunt repeatedly pressed Miller as to whether President Trump was ignoring District Court judge James Boasberg who issued an order to turn around three planes transporting Venezuelan gang members from the U.S. to a prison in El Salvador.
Miller delivered a detailed lesson on the president’s constitutional authority, citing the 1798 Alien Enemies Act which was enacted by Founding Father John Adams, to support the presidential power to repel an “alien invasion” organized by Venezuela.
WATCH IN FULL: White House Deputy Chief of Staff @StephenM schools Fake News CNN’s @kasie on the Constitution, the separation of powers, and the rule of law. pic.twitter.com/2TMnKyBLwk
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) March 17, 2025
When Hunt responded that judicial oversight is essential to our system of government, Miller systematically dismantled her claim, explaining that an unelected district court judge cannot override the president’s role as Commander-in-Chief.
Miller asked Hunt, “Can a district court judge enjoin troop movements overseas? Can he direct Air Force One or an aircraft carrier? No? Then why are we pretending he can stop the expulsion of foreign terrorists or illegal invaders?”
Hunt was unable to answer Miller’s questions but instead returned to repeatedly questioning whether the Trump administration was ignoring the judge’s order by not calling the planes back to the U.S.
Miller turned the question back onto Hunt asking her, “Did [the judge] know how much fuel was in those planes? Did he know the weather conditions? The need for crew rest? No. This judge violated the law. He violated the Constitution.” (Read more: American Greatness, 3/18/2025) (Archive)