White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller had an odd pause during a CNN interview when asked about the president's power to deploy National Guard troops. The pause, which quickly circulated on social media, was later explained by CNN as a technical glitch caused by crossed wires from another broadcast in Miller's earpiece.
The term 'plenary authority', which Miller used before his pause, has been interpreted by some as a signal of the Trump administration's broader ambitions to assert legally unassailable power over the use of the military and other government functions. The phrase suggests a claim of absolute or complete power in specific areas, such as military deployment or immigration enforcement.
Critics argue that the concept of plenary authority, if applied broadly, could undermine checks and balances. The incident has reignited debates over the limits of executive power, particularly in the context of the president's command of the armed forces and his ability to bypass Congress or the courts.
