WH print pool report #9 Miller comments

White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy Stephen Miller took questions outside for about three minutes.

Miller on Cuba: “You’ve seen the sanctions that have been put in place. You’ve seen the actions that the administration has taken. Ultimately, it’s up to Cuba whether or not they make the decision to reform, to have a free country, to be a friend of the United States, or if they choose a different path. Ultimately, in that way, their fate is in their own hands.”

Miller was asked about ICE funding still not approved as the House and Senate leave town.

Miller: “I would just like to say the president has been incredibly clear that there is nothing more important than ensuring full funding for federal law enforcement, especially including the great heroes of ICE. I would note that in addition to ICE’s work on deportation, ICE also has one of the largest investigative portfolios in the entire U.S. government …”

“They don’t have full funding for the heroes of ICE and Border Control. And of course, on the southern border you’re dealing with threats every day from foreign terrorist organizations that operate on and control the territory all across Mexico on the Mexican side of the border.”

Miller was asked whether the president has concerns about opposition in Congress to the $1.8 billion anti-weaponization fund.

Miller: “That’s a good closing question only because it allows me to say this, which is that we lived through four years – more than four years, actually, but I’ll just say four years in this case – of unimaginable weaponization of the federal government against innocent people. I think it really goes back to, I would say further. We’ve had so many lives destroyed, so many livelihoods ruined, so many people who were deprived of their fundamental rights and freedoms as American citizens. And this settlement is just a small measure of the justice that they are owed.”

Miller did not respond to shouted questions about Trump’s canceled AI executive order and Iran negotiations.

Joey Garrison

White House correspondent

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Twitter: @joeygarrison

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