The second Trump administration is beginning to take shape. ON THE DOMESTIC FRONT: President-elect DONALD TRUMP is set to name STEPHEN MILLER as White House deputy chief of staff for policy, CNN’s Alayna Treene scooped. During the 2016 campaign, Miller was Trump’s chief speechwriter and later wrote Trump’s decidedly dark “American carnage” inaugural address. As a senior adviser to Trump during his first term, Miller was a central figure in crafting a hardline restrictive immigration policy — perhaps most “notably his move to separate thousands of immigrant families as a deterrence program in 2018,” as the AP notes. Miller is expected to take on a larger role in Trump’s second term, and has said that Trump will “seek a tenfold increase in the number of deportations to more than one million per year,” Treene writes. In a post on X, Vice President-elect JD VANCE effectively confirmed Miller’s appointment — which, as of this writing, Trump has not yet formally announced. More potential domestic picks … Former Border Patrol chief RODNEY SCOTT for U.S. Customs and Border Commissioner, per Washington Examiner’s Anna Giaritelli … “Markwayne Mullin Under Consideration for Trump Appointment to Interior or Veterans Affairs,” by NOTUS’ Reese Gorman ON THE GLOBAL FRONT: For his first Cabinet-level pick, the president-elect announced this morning that he will nominate House Republican Conference Chair ELISE STEFANIK (R-N.Y.) to be his ambassador to the United Nations. What it signals to the world: “With Stefanik, Trump is elevating a fierce critic of the U.N. as his emissary to the world body — the latest sign that he plans to make good on pledges to strongly support Israel on the world stage and play hardball with international organizations and alliances,” Eric Bazail-Eimil, Connor O’Brien, Joe Gould and Meridith McGraw write. ON CAPITOL HILL: Stefanik’s prospective departure is already setting off a chain reaction among House Republicans eager to succeed her as conference chair. Olivia Beavers has the readout on the early jockeying ahead of House leadership elections on Wednesday. The role, which focuses on House Republicans’ message, has been held by women since CATHY McMORRIS RODGERS’ (R-Wash.) election in 2013. — In the running: Reps. LISA McCLAIN (R-Mich.), KAT CAMMACK (R-Fla.) and ERIN HOUCHIN (R-Ind.) have all announced bids for conference chair. — Considering it: Reps. BYRON DONALDS (R-Fla.) and BLAKE MOORE (R-Utah). — Not running: Reps. STEPHANIE BICE (R-Okla.), per Olivia, and ASHLEY HINSON (R-Iowa), per CNN’s Melanie Zanona. Across the Capitol campus … The latest House maneuvering comes as the Senate readies itself for its own leadership vote via secret ballot on Wednesday. Though Sen. RICK SCOTT has received major backlash from MAGA conservatives in his bid for the top job, the Florida Republican took to the airways this morning to reiterate why he’s the man for the job to get Trump’s nominees through Congress. “Whatever it takes, if it’s recess appointments, whatever it takes we gotta get these done,” Scott told Fox News this morning. “We know [current Senate Majority Leader CHUCK] SCHUMER ’s going to slow everything down. I am all on board.” AFTERNOON READ — “Why Democrats Lost Latinos,” by Jack Herrera for POLITICO Mag Good Monday afternoon. Thanks for reading Playbook PM. Drop me a line at birvine@politico.com.
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