The Washington power couple straddling the Trump-Musk feud

They're nan Washington mates astatine nan centre of powerfulness successful nan Trump administration. They're besides straddling opposing sides of an explosive breakup betwixt US President Donald Trump and billionaire Elon Musk.

CNN reported past week that Katie Miller, nan woman of Stephen Miller, Trump's lawman main of staff, would beryllium departing her elder domiciled astatine nan White House arsenic a apical spokesperson and advisor for Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency.

She was connected her measurement to activity for Musk arsenic he went backmost to moving his companies, helping nan tech titan negociate and put interviews unrelated to his clip successful government.

But days later, amid nan smoldering ruin of Musk and Trump's epic meltdown connected Thursday complete societal media, that occupation abruptly took connected a full caller layer.

Among nan attacks some men lobbed astatine each different was Musk endorsing nan anticipation of impeaching Trump and installing Vice President JD Vance successful his place. Trump, successful turn, raised nan anticipation of terminating national contracts for Musk's companies.

The section has near nan Millers connected conflicting sides of nan biggest breakup of Trump's 2nd term, spawning rumors among White House aides and rounds of speculation astir really nan fallout could effect nan governmental fortunes of 1 of nan astir powerful couples successful Trump's Washington, wherever loyalty reigns.

"Everyone is talking astir it," a erstwhile Trump staffer told CNN.

Katie Miller was successful Texas past week for nan bid of interviews Musk held pinch abstraction and exertion journalists arsenic SpaceX's Starship had its ninth trial flight. It was location that Musk first delicately expressed he was "disappointed" successful nan Republican's home argumentation measure successful an question and reply pinch CBS News.

Her X account is now a dependable watercourse of laudatory posts astir Musk and his companies, pinch a banner photograph of a SpaceX rocket launching into abstraction and a curriculum vitae that says, "wife of @stephenm." Her only societal media station connected Friday was a reply pinch laughing emojis to an altered photograph of her hubby arsenic a Home Depot worker attached to a station astir migration raids connected nan chain's stores.

One erstwhile workfellow told CNN that she will yet request to make a choice.

"She has a prime betwixt Elon and Trump, but it can't beryllium both," nan management charismatic said.

Musk unfollowed Stephen Miller connected X connected Thursday, though some Millers continued pursuing Musk connected nan level into Friday.

There are divided views connected really nan business will effect Stephen Miller's ascendance.

Among Trump's closest advisers, galore judge he is surpassed successful powerfulness only by Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, fueling speculation among immoderate complete whether he could return complete should Wiles determine to move on.

"This full point will decidedly make that much complicated," 1 elder White House charismatic told CNN.

"Katie being paid by Elon is not bully for Stephen."

Another elder White House charismatic powerfully pushed backmost connected nan thought that this section pinch Musk would effect Miller successful immoderate measurement pinch nan President.

"Next to Susie, Trump trusts and relies connected Stephen nan most," nan charismatic said, adding that nan President and apical brass were knowing that his woman moving for Musk had thing to do pinch Stephen aliases nan existent authorities of events.

Katie Miller declined to remark for this story.

Deeply connected and influential successful Republican circles and astatine nan highest levels of government, Stephen Miller and Katie Miller (née Waldman) met during Trump's first word successful 2018. He was a elder advisor and speechwriter astatine nan White House; she was connected nan Department of Homeland Security's nationalist affairs squad and connected her measurement to becoming then-Vice President Mike Pence's communications director.

He developed a estimation arsenic nan designer of immoderate of nan administration's astir hardline migration policies, becoming an influential and trusted adjutant successful nan Trump orbit.

She developed her ain estimation arsenic a staunch protagonist of those policies, erstwhile reflecting connected a travel to nan US-Mexico separator arsenic nan management came nether occurrence for its kid separation policy.

"My family and colleagues told maine that erstwhile I person kids I'll deliberation astir nan separations differently. But I don't deliberation truthful … DHS sent maine to nan separator to spot nan separations for myself – to effort to make maine much compassionate – but it didn't work," Miller told NBC News journalist Jacob Soboroff successful an question and reply for his book, "Separated."

The brace joined astatine Trump's Washington, DC, edifice successful February 2020. Trump attended nan wedding.

In nan 4 years aft Trump near office, some group their sights connected a Trump return to nan White House. Stephen Miller launched a blimpish nonprofit group, America First Legal Foundation, that served successful portion arsenic a prelude to nan argumentation of Trump's 2nd term.

Katie Miller headed to nan backstage sector, wherever she consulted a number of awesome companies, including Apple. They were besides raising 3 young children.

Return to nan White House

Stephen Miller returned to nan White House successful January pinch a immense mandate, profoundly progressive successful galore of nan president's signature argumentation initiatives and further empowered from nan first term. Katie Miller joined nan management arsenic well, moving connected behalf of DOGE and Musk, who had go a caller fig successful nan Trump orbit aft being an progressive run surrogate and 2024 megadonor.

Like Musk, Katie Miller was moving astatine nan White House arsenic a "Special Government Employee", which limits nan number of days 1 tin activity wrong nan administration.

As their master lives intertwined, nan mates besides became personally adjacent pinch Musk, socialising extracurricular of work.

In nan power of nan Thursday day societal media showdown, Stephen Miller had been scheduled to look connected Larry Kudlow's show connected Fox Business Network – an quality that was canceled.

"We mislaid Mr Miller to a gathering successful nan Oval Office. Perfectly understandable. When I was successful government, it would hap each nan time. We'd person to termination a TV show. You're astatine nan president's beck and call," Kudlow said during his eponymous broadcast.

This is not nan first clip Trump has divided a marital relationship. During his first term, Trump lashed retired astatine nan hubby of 1 of his apical advisers, Kellyanne Conway. Her husband, George Conway, had been intensely captious of Trump connected societal media.

"He's a whack job. There's nary mobility astir it. But I really don't cognize him," Trump said astatine nan clip of George Conway.

"I deliberation he's doing a tremendous disservice to a awesome wife."

In 2023, nan mates announced they were filing for divorce.

George Conway, a prolific personification of Musk's X level and ardent anti-Trump figure, posted dozens of times astir nan Trump-Musk spat.

"Does anyone person immoderate updates connected Katie Miller?" he asked Thursday evening.

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