In elevating Stephen Miller, Trump taps anti-immigration champion - USA Today
Days after voters rejected his second-term agenda in a resounding midterm blowout, President Donald Trump is turning to one of the chief architects of those policies to lead the White House, elevating Stephen Miller to chief of staff.
Miller is best known as an immigration hawk. He has been an ardent champion for the mass deportation campaign that has been a centerpiece of Trump’s second term, and the administration's push to end birthright citizenship. He also is a fierce and longtime Trump loyalist who has shown little inclination for working with Democrats, setting up a potentially combative two years ahead.
Trump's immigration enforcement efforts have sparked intense backlash, putting a spotlight on the tactics employed by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency. There were widespread demonstrations after federal law enforcement shot and killed two people in Minneapolis earlier this year during immigration enforcement efforts.
After the second shooting, Miller called the man who was killed, Alex Pretti, a "domestic terrorist" and portrayed him as a grave threat to law enforcement, but that narrative quickly unraveled. The administration later adopted a more conciliatory tone amid the uproar. Miller's appointment could signal a return to a more uncompromising stance on immigration, and other issues, even as Latino voters shifted dramatically towards Democrats in the midterm election.
During Trump’s first administration, Miller helped craft a travel ban targeting predominantly Muslim countries. It was struck down as illegal or unconstitutional by lower courts, but later upheld by the Supreme Court.
Miller’s influence during Trump's second term has extended far beyond immigration. As deputy chief of staff for policy, he has been deeply involved at all levels of policymaking.
Miller, 41, also has been a driving force in Trump's muscular approach to foreign affairs and threats of intervention abroad, once declaring that "nobody’s going to fight the United States militarily over the future of Greenland." He championed the U.S. effort to remove Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, saying afterward that “The United States is using its military to secure our interests unapologetically in our hemisphere."
Trump’s selection of Miller to replace the outgoing Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, a longtime aide with a more low-key profile, comes after Democrats seized control of both the House and the Senate in a landslide. The midterm election centered around the president, whose approval rating is at record lows amid discontent over immigration policy, the economy, the war in Iran and other issues that Miller had a hand in.
Democrats have signaled they will launch an aggressive oversight campaign, with Trump administration officials facing a barrage of congressional hearings and potential subpoenas.
Miller is fiery speaker who often lashes out at Democrats and has shown little appetite for compromise. That could set up a contentious final two years in office for Trump. Two sources close to the administration noted that Miller is known for being combative, and said his appointment signals Trump is girding for a fight.
Before the polls closed on Election Day Nov. 3, Miller fired off a social media post urging voters to "Send a message to the corrupt media, corrupt Democrats and corrupt leftwing politicians who want to steal your future and destroy the inheritance of your children. Get to the polls and protect the ones you love."
The president praised Miller as he departed the White House on Nov. 6, noting he has been with him from the beginning. Miller was a policy adviser and speechwriter for Trump’s 2016 campaign and in his first administration. His wife was a spokesperson for Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, when he ran the Department of Government Efficiency and now hosts a podcast featuring administration officials.
“He gets it. Very good politically,” Trump said of Miller. “He’ll do a great job. Great manager.”
Trump’s critics said Miller’s appointment suggests the president is doubling down on an approach that voters rejected.
“Donald Trump learned nothing from his historic defeat,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-New York, said on social media. “Stephen Miller is the architect of the most barbaric, inhumane policies of this administration. Trump couldn’t have made a worse choice. Our Democratic majorities will fight him every step of the way.”
