Trump still defiant after a bruising week

Driving the news: Trump has remained defiant about the midterms, blaming the Iran war and the GOP's candidates for the losses while spending a lot of time discussing planned D.C. construction projects.

• On Friday, Trump announced he would replace White House chief of staff Susie Wiles with Stephen Miller, a champion of his most hard-line policies.
• The move could signal that the president plans to push even harder on some of his unpopular policies, Axios' Marc Caputo and Andrew Pantazi write.

Zoom in: Voters told Trump loud and clear they're dissatisfied with his policies, particularly on the Iran war, cost of living and economy.

• Roughly two-thirds of voters said Trump's agenda had fueled inflation, per the AP's Voter Poll.
• Trump admitted the unpopular war helped Republicans lose their majorities. With Democrats poised to control Congress and potentially restrict war funding, he has few good options for a decisive win.
• As one of his former advisers told Axios' Barak Ravid: "It's one thing to lose the midterms. But Trump doesn't want to look like a loser twice."

What they're saying: "I don't think conciliatory is in [Trump's] vocabulary or ethos," Republican strategist Barrett Marson told Axios, calling Miller's appointment evidence that Trump won't "go away quietly."

• "He's taken the architect of many of the worst policies and elevating him. I'm not really sure how that is sort of acknowledging voters' discontent," Marson said.
• Marson said Trump's inability to run for president again could make him even less concerned about political consequences.
• He also noted that Trump has a massive war chest that he could wield to control GOP politicians as the 2028 election cycle begins.

The other side: "As the President has said, he's willing to work with anyone to continue delivering victories for hardworking Americans," White House spokesperson Lauren Bis told Axios in an emailed statement.

• "If Democrats choose to pursue sham investigations and radical left policies, they are choosing to work against the American people."

Zoom out: The president's headaches also extend to his legal battles and ambitious construction projects.

• A New York appeals court heard arguments Thursday in Trump's bid to overturn his conviction on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records.
• His lawyers argued the conviction was tainted by legal errors and inadmissible evidence, but the court has yet to rule.

In the wee hours of Friday, U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan issued a temporary restraining order barring construction on Trump's planned 250-foot Triumphal Arch for 14 days, just hours after the National Capital Planning Commission approved the project.

• The order was in response to a lawsuit brought by D.C. and Virginia and blocked construction, excavation, and road closures related to the arch. The project would tower over a road leading to Arlington National Cemetery and has drawn opposition from preservation groups, military veterans and families of people buried at the cemetery.
• White House spokesperson Davis Ingle blasted the judge's ruling over the arch, saying the administration was confident it would be "fully vindicated as this litigation proceeds."

Between the lines: Republican strategist John Feehery, who spoke to Axios before Friday's chief of staff shake-up, said Trump could still cut deals with Democrats to cement his legacy, but acknowledged his influence over congressional Republicans could wane.

• "I don't think he's going to control the Republicans to the extent that he did, I think Republicans are going to try to figure out their own brand," Feehery said.

The bottom line: Trump is the political comeback king — and no one should expect him to roll over during his lame-duck season.

Go deeper: Trump, under pressure, embraces Builder-in-Chief role