EXCLUSIVE: There are few people in the United States who have more significantly shaped the course of American history over the last two years, while remaining as little-known as James Braid.

Millions of Americans across the country may not be familiar with the name, but in Washington, D.C., Braid is hard to miss both literally and figuratively. At 6 feet, 6 inches tall, he cast a tall shadow during his days at the White House and on Capitol Hill pushing President Donald Trump’s legislative agenda.

And that shadow has been responsible for helping push numerous legislative successes for Trump over the finish line, from rolling back Biden-era policies to passing Trump’s signature tax policy bill, until Tuesday — which marked Braid’s last day as director of the Office of Legislative Affairs. The «stock-in-trade» of the job, he told Digital in a rare interview, «is cautious optimism in the face of all odds.»

From the outside, being Trump’s whisperer on Capitol Hill does not look like an easy job, particularly when the president is known to personally call out lawmakers who oppose his agenda. Recently, for example, he publicized the personal phone number of Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., over his opposition to a bill making daylight saving time permanent.

TRUMP DROPS REPUBLICAN SENATOR’S PHONE NUMBER IN SOCIAL POST OVER FURY ON STALLED BILL

But Braid insisted that Trump’s people skills ultimately meant those dust-ups came out of the wash and lauded «his extraordinary capacity to have a tough conversation one day and play a round of golf the next.»

«There’s always a give-and-take in any relationship with a legislator, and sometimes there’s a give as a result of, you know, tension,» Braid said. «But you know … one errant Truth [Social post], or one critical Truth, does not a relationship make.»

But some Republicans’ relationships with the president never seemed to recover, like in the case of Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., who has no love lost with Trump.

Braid said the key to working with people was always being straightforward about what the White House wants.

«We’ve been able to be honest brokers and deliver for a lot of these members in different ways,» he said.

But Trump’s presence still looms large in Congress whether he’s there in person or not.

A senior administration official familiar with Braid’s work told Digital that ultimately, «No one speaks for President Trump except for President Trump.»

The official said Trump is known to be «hands-on at every critical legislative juncture» that pushes his agenda forward.

And Braid revealed that he keeps tabs on certain votes, as well.

«He always wants to know how people are voting after every major vote. He knows where people are,» Braid said, adding that Trump «ultimately knows that Republicans in Congress overwhelmingly vote with him.»

But Braid admitted he has faced long odds over his last two years, particularly with the vast tax-and-policy package nicknamed the Big, Beautiful Bill.

MILLIONS TAP TRUMP TAX CUTS THIS FILING SEASON AS REFUNDS TOP $3,400

He recalled sitting in his office one day, «I looked at the quad on the TV, and every single chyron is some variation of ‘GOP megabill in trouble.’ And yeah, I mean, there’s certainly, at every moment, it was tenuous. At every moment, the thread was fraying.»

One specific scenario he recalled took place at Sterling Golf Club in Virginia, where he, Trump, Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Russell Vought and then-deputy chief of staff James Blair were meeting with Senate Republican holdouts on the legislation.

GOP FISCAL HAWK SOUNDS ALARM ON ‘OUT OF CONTROL’ FEDERAL SPENDING, SAYING ‘BOTH PARTIES HAVE FAILED US’

«We’re sitting there with [Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky.], [Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis.], [Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla.], me, Blair, Russ and the president, and they’re bringing out these heaps of food,» Braid recalled. «I think there’s something like four pizzas on the table and maybe 22 hot dogs for five guys, none of them were eating. And it’s just, I mean, we, I think we argued about the administration’s overall funding strategy for two hours as the afternoon wore on.»

Ultimately, however, the bill passed the House and Senate — for which Braid credited both administration officials and congressional leaders.

«The level of commitment that was there and present from the leadership across the Republican Party to get this thing done, basically willed it into being,» he said.

He referenced the day Trump signed the bill when asked about his best day on the job over the last two years: «I would say July 4th in the White House with my son and the speaker of the House in the summer sunshine, watching the president sign the most significant piece of Republican domestic policy legislation.»

Top congressional leaders hailed Braid as a critical champion of the GOP agenda.

«James is a total pro and one of House Republicans’ greatest teammates,» House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn., said. «He took the time to get to know our members and master the unique dynamics of the House Republican Conference.»

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., called Braid a «tremendous partner» for his conference.

«I’m grateful for his dedicated service to our country, and I wish him and his family all the best with their next chapter,» Thune said.

Vought called Braid a «lion for the president in delivering his agenda on the Hill.»

And Vice President JD Vance, who hired Braid as his legislative director before both ascended to the White House, told Digital that he is «incredibly brilliant, effective and a hard worker without compare.»

«He has been with me since the start of my Senate term, where he was with me for every fight and brought his talents to the president’s second term, where he has played a central role in every single policy effort since,» Vance said.

Now that he is departing, the senior administration official who spoke with Digital said they expect Braid to find work outside the government after years of grinding on Capitol Hill and the White House.

As for Braid, he said of his next move, «It’s hard for me to even think about not doing this job, but at the end of the day, I know [Katie Bailey is] going to do great … but yeah, I’ll take a little time and try to figure out what’s next.»

Bailey, Braid’s former deputy director of the Office of Legislative Affairs, is now taking over the job.

He summed up his advice to his successor in two bullet points.

«Number one, you have to be ruthless in what you’re focused on and tune out the distractions to get the issue of the day over the line and onto the president’s desk,» he said. «Number two, invariably, the situation feels pretty grave, but usually we muddle through, and to remain optimistic.»

politics, donald trump, congress, white house, senate, house of representatives politics

Félix Savón, tricampeón olímpico de boxeo, fue filmado hace unos días mientras buscaba comida en un basurero de Cuba. La escena, difundida el 11 de octubre, reavivó el debate sobre el abandono estatal a los deportistas retirados de la isla, entre ellos el boxeador Leonardo Winter Echeverría.

Según detalla el Periódico Cubano, Winter Echeverría integró el boxeo competitivo cubano durante la década de 1980. Hoy vive en Banes, Holguín, con una artrosis en la rodilla que le dificulta caminar y asegura no recibir respaldo del Instituto Nacional de Deportes, Educación Física y Recreación (INDER).

207 combates sin respaldo institucional

Su historia salió a la luz a través de un video difundido en redes sociales por el perfil Cuba Independiente y Democrática (CID), movimiento opositor que documentó su testimonio.

En la grabación, el expúgil recuerda que disputó 207 combates y sumó alrededor de 150 victorias a lo largo de su carrera. También menciona haber enfrentado a figuras destacadas del boxeo nacional, aunque no identifica a todos sus rivales.

Winter Echeverría participó además en torneos internacionales en Venezuela y Guyana, donde obtuvo al menos un triunfo dentro del sistema deportivo cubano. Esa trayectoria contrasta, según su relato, con la falta de atención que recibe en la actualidad por parte del INDER.

La denuncia sobre la precariedad de los exatletas cubanos describe un patrón reiterado: deportistas que representaron al país en competencias internacionales y que, tras el retiro, quedan sin cobertura médica ni económica estatal, obligados a subsistir con pensiones mínimas o con la ayuda de terceros.

CID cerró su publicación con una frase de la propia grabación: “Los hombres que fueron no se pueden olvidar”. Hasta el momento no existe una respuesta pública del INDER sobre la situación particular de Winter Echeverría, ni datos que confirmen si solicitó asistencia por los canales institucionales.

Otros exboxeadores que denunciaron precariedad

El caso del residente en Banes guarda semejanzas con el de Gaspar Casamayor Álvarez, exboxeador de Santiago de Cuba. Su precariedad fue documentada por Periódico Cubano en marzo pasado.

Pese a contar con una credencial que lo identifica como “Gloria Deportiva”, Casamayor Álvarez se vio obligado a vender objetos personales y pedir ayuda económica para alimentarse, según consignó el diario.

Ariel Hernández, doble campeón olímpico de boxeo, relató por su parte que la remuneración recibida por sus resultados internacionales no cubría sus necesidades. El expugilista explicó que tuvo que trabajar como custodio tras abandonar la competición.

A ese listado se suman otros nombres difundidos en los últimos meses. El excampeón mundial Bernardo Comas, de 65 años, vive en Camagüey con demencia senil y una pensión de 8,000 pesos cubanos mensuales.

El exboxeador Félix Lemus cultiva la tierra para sobrevivir con poco más de 3.000 pesos al mes, de acuerdo con CiberCuba, sitio de noticias cubano.

En abril de 2025, el exlanzador Omar Ajete criticó durante una transmisión televisiva las condiciones de atención a los deportistas retirados en Pinar del Río. Su intervención quedó interrumpida cuando abordaba las deficiencias del apoyo institucional.

El video de Savón y el reclamo en octubre

La página de Facebook BoxeoCubano publicó el clip de 17 segundos donde se ve a Savón responder a quien lo filmaba desde un automóvil: “Recogiendo comida, comida para comer”. La grabación superó el millón de reproducciones en un día, según registró CiberCuba.

El comediante Limay Blanco localizó al tricampeón olímpico y le entregó alimentos, dinero en efectivo y una Biblia donados por su iglesia. El encuentro, también difundido en video, disipó las dudas sobre la identidad del hombre filmado.

El ajedrecista cubano Lázaro Bruzón, emigrado de la isla en 2018, reaccionó ante CiberCuba: “Todos los deportistas fueron cifras útiles mientras producíamos resultados. Una vez retirados, se acabó el negocio para ellos”.

Bruzón amplió ante el medio que el sistema deportivo cubano “recicla personas, exprime almas y descarta” a quienes dejan de ser útiles, y responsabilizó del trato a quienes gobiernan la isla desde 1959.

El INDER ha negado en reiteradas ocasiones que exista una desatención institucional generalizada, aunque no presentó pruebas concretas de la asistencia que brinda a sus antiguos atletas, según reportó CiberCuba. Hasta ahora, ni el organismo ni las autoridades deportivas cubanas emitieron una respuesta pública sobre el caso de Winter Echeverría ni sobre el de Savón.

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President Donald Trump’s border crackdown has sharply reduced the illegal crossings that overwhelmed agents under former President Joe Biden, with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) reporting Thursday historic lows in apprehensions and a full fiscal year without Border Patrol releasing migrants into the country.

For retired Yuma Arizona Sector U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Border Patrol Chief Chris Clem, the turnaround stands in sharp contrast to days when his agents could not pick up migrants fast enough and the consequences spilled into neighborhoods, farms and local businesses.

«They just started walking through the agriculture fields. They started running through town,» Clem told Digital, recalling the surge in December 2021. «They started going to the food bank. They started knocking on people’s doors at all hours of the nights.» 

TRUMP ADMIN MARKS 15 STRAIGHT MONTHS WITH ZERO BORDER RELEASES AS APPREHENSIONS PLUNGE 94%

But while Clem said he credits stronger enforcement and the prospect of deportation with helping drive the decline, he warned that the gains could face another threat — a political shift in Washington.

«There are a lot of policy decisions that can be really jammed up by a Congress that’s gung-ho to overturn what this president has done,» said Clem, who warned that changes in congressional control could complicate enforcement through funding decisions and policy restrictions, while a future presidential administration could pursue broader reversals.

Preliminary DHS figures released Thursday show Border Patrol recorded 98,708 southwest border apprehensions in fiscal year 2026, roughly 95% below the annual average of more than 1.8 million during the Biden administration.

That translates to about 270 apprehensions a day across the southwest border, compared with roughly 5,000 using the department’s Biden-era annual average.

In Yuma alone, Clem recalled daily arrivals climbing from roughly 25 in December 2020, to more than 1,000 by December 2021. During a particularly difficult three-day stretch that month, he said, daily arrivals approached 1,500.

TRUMP HITS DRAMATIC MILESTONE IN MASSIVE DEPARTURE FROM BIDEN BORDER PLAN: ‘WHAT A DIFFERENCE’

Weather problems and a shortage of resources compounded the strain, leaving agents struggling to transport people from the border, he said.

«That was really when it, you know, was the most critical for me because we had the true community impact of a failed border security policy out of Washington, D.C.,» Clem said.

His agents remained committed to the mission, he said, but the volume was overwhelming.

«The agents, their heads were in the right place. They knew they had to do the job,» Clem said. «But when you’re outnumbered, literally 100 to one, it’s very difficult.»

The new DHS figures put an entire fiscal year of southwest border apprehensions below half the 249,740 recorded during the Biden administration’s single busiest month.

DHS also said September marked the 17th consecutive month without Border Patrol releasing migrants into the country, completing what it described as the agency’s first full fiscal year with zero releases.

DHS TOUTS MILLIONS OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT DEPARTURES AS BORDER CROSSINGS DROP 94% UNDER TRUMP

Clem said the prospect of being released had given smugglers a powerful selling point during the previous administration.

«If you get to the border, you’re gonna be processed, and you’ll be let go,» he said, describing the pitch.

He argued that changing that expectation is central to discouraging illegal crossings.

«They know that they’re not gonna be processed and released, which was the status quo under the Biden-Harris administration,» Clem said.

TRUMP ADMINISTRATION’S IMMIGRATION PUSH FUELS ICE’S BIGGEST ARREST MONTH IN AGENCY HISTORY

He credited a combination of personnel, infrastructure, technology and consequences for illegal entry, rather than any single measure.

The enforcement effort also extends beyond the border itself.

Clem said U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations inside the country add another layer, making clear that getting past Border Patrol does not eliminate the possibility of arrest and removal.

«When you combine the strong border posture, as well as the strong and robust interior enforcement, it’s a recipe for success,» he said.

Border czar Tom Homan pointed to that interior enforcement push Thursday, saying ICE had recorded its highest single-day deportation total since Trump returned to office.

TRUMP DHS HITS 16 STRAIGHT MONTHS WITH 0 RELEASES AT THE BORDER

«We are deportation-maxxing—firing on all cylinders while still expanding our capabilities to ramp up removals beyond current record-breaking levels,» Homan wrote on social media.

Homan said he visited ICE Air Operations in Alexandria, Louisiana, to observe removal operations, including a flight returning Haitians he said had criminal records involving aggravated assault, sexual assault, kidnapping, battery and other offenses.

He also said ICE conducted more removals in September than in any other month, though his post did not provide totals or specify the comparison period. Fiscal year 2026 figures were still being finalized, he said.

The ICE removal figures measure a separate part of the immigration system from Border Patrol apprehensions and releases.

«President Trump promised the American people a secure border, and the data proves he delivered,» DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin said in a statement announcing the border figures. «The results could not be clearer: strong enforcement works.»

Still, Clem cautioned that lower numbers do not eliminate threats from smugglers or people trying to evade detection.

«There are always gonna be that risk where somebody does sneak through. Who is that person?» he said.

He argued that mixed political messages can also give smugglers an opening to lure people into dangerous journeys with promises that U.S. policies will change.

«When our policies aren’t clear and transparent, and we’re not holding ourselves accountable, it’s a marketing tool for the smuggling organizations,» he said.

For Clem, the distinction between debating immigration policy and maintaining border security is essential.

«We have an immigration issue we need to address,» he said. «We need to find a way to retain and recruit those that are here, that are foreign nationals that want to contribute.»

«But none of that should matter when it comes down to securing the border,» Clem added. «We should always be looking at keeping America safe.»

border security, homeland security, immigration, illegal immigrants, deportation, donald trump, joe biden, politics