Reporters are not early risers by nature, or so the saying goes. Thursday’s scheduled 8:30 a.m. press conference with White House Deputy Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt and Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller ran late, eventually beginning closer to 9 a.m.
The third of the administration’s “First 100 Days” briefing series was billed under the theme Common Sense — a phrase President Donald Trump has repeatedly linked to his vision of restoring what he calls “a golden age of American greatness,” invoking Thomas Paine in tone, if not in policy detail.
Leavitt opened the briefing with an update on Trump’s schedule for the day. The president is set to deliver the 2025 commencement address at the University of Alabama before traveling to Palm Beach.
But it was the tariffs, national identity and anti-woke policies that dominated the room’s attention.
Leavitt announced that the secretary of the Treasury has reached a minerals deal with Ukraine as part of a postwar reconstruction fund. Under the agreement, the United States will receive 50% of the royalties generated by specific extraction ventures.
Press-friendly Leavitt said Trump’s decision to hold an open press Cabinet meeting Thursday serves as proof of his transparent approach to governance.
Miller took a more combative tone at the podium, declaring that Trump is working to reverse what he called the “cultural and security catastrophes” ushered in by the Biden administration and Democratic leadership.
“One of the most significant crises that President Trump inherited upon taking office was the wave of racial discrimination, so-called Diversity Equity and Inclusion policies that have taken over both public sector and private sector entities all across the United States of America,” Miller said.
“Perhaps the most dramatic example of this is that our air traffic controllers were being hired and promoted based on race and gender, not their ability to conduct our nation’s air traffic.”
Miller said that under Trump, in matters of national security and safety, hiring decisions are based solely on the ability to keep Americans safe.
Trump’s deputy chief of staff reiterated that the Department of Justice, along with other departments and agencies, has made clear that the administration will fully enforce Titles VI, VII and IX of the federal civil rights code. Touting a “system of merit” under Trump, Miller said this is not just a cultural but also an economic issue.
Turning to education, Miller outlined policies introduced in the first 100 days, calling public education reform a priority. He said the Justice Department is coordinating with state and local law enforcement to “fight child abuse in our school system.” Speaking of transgender surgeries and identities, Miller said, “It is child abuse to change a child’s gender, particularly if you do not inform the parents.”
He claimed that teachers have tried to turn children no older than a five-year-old or a six-year-old into a boy or a girl.
“That is child abuse, and this administration is treating it as child abuse and is a gross violation of parental rights,” Miller said.
On the issue of transgender inmates, Miller said placing transgender women in women’s prisons won’t be happening under Trump. He criticized Democratic leadership, including House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, for what he called “cruel and unacceptable” policies.
“This administration is also fighting to get critical race theory out of our school districts,” Miller said. “Children will be taught to love America.”
Midway through the briefing, music could be faintly heard from the Rose Garden — reportedly part of the preparations for a National Day of Prayer event scheduled with the president at 11 a.m.
Miller also turned to tariffs and global trade, claiming countries from Asia to the EU are “desperate” to strike new deals with the United States. He said the administration’s trade policy is built on a simple principle: If a company wants to avoid tariffs, it should manufacture in America.
Miller said the president is making it clear: “You pay tariffs only on products made outside the United States.” He lamented that the American auto industry, which “used to control the entire world,” has become “a tiny fraction of the global market.”
He accused Japan, the EU and South Korea of having “closed” their markets to American cars and called them “cheaters.”
Trump’s policy, according to Miller, is straightforward: “If you want to sell cars tariff free, tax free, to our market, your plant has to operate in the United States.”
He added that the administration is actively pursuing new energy partnerships worldwide, positioning U.S. energy dominance as a key pillar of both foreign policy and economic revitalization.
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