Stephen Miller | |
|---|---|
(b).jpg) Miller in 2025 | |
| White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy | |
| Assumed office January 20, 2025 | |
| President | Donald J. Trump |
| Chief of Staff | Susie Wiles |
| Preceded by | Bruce Reed |
| 12th United States Homeland Security Advisor | |
| Assumed office January 20, 2025 | |
| President | Donald J. Trump |
| Deputy | Anthony Salisbury |
| Preceded by | Elizabeth Sherwood-Randall |
| Senior Advisor to the President | |
| In office January 20, 2017 – January 20, 2021 | |
| President | Donald J. Trump |
| Preceded by | |
| Succeeded by | |
| White House Director of Speechwriting | |
| In office January 20, 2017 – January 20, 2021 | |
| President | Donald J. Trump |
| Preceded by | Cody Keenan |
| Succeeded by | Vinay Reddy |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1985-08-23)August 23, 1985 (age 40) Santa Monica, California, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 3 |
| Education | Duke University (BA) |
Stephen N. Miller (born August 23, 1985) is an American political advisor who has served as theWhite House deputy chief of staff for policy and theUnited States homeland security advisor since 2025. Miller served as asenior advisor to the president and theWhite House director of speechwriting from 2017 to 2021. Considered one of the most influential figures of the Trump administrations andTrumpism movement, his politics have been described asfar-right,anti-immigration, andwhite nationalist.
Miller graduated fromDuke University in 2007. As a Duke student, he was involved in politics, serving as the executive director of the Duke Conservative Union and the president of the university's chapter ofDavid Horowitz'sStudents for Academic Freedom, in addition to authoring a column inThe Chronicle. Miller worked as a press secretary for representativesMichele Bachmann andJohn Shadegg. In 2009, he began working forAlabama senatorJeff Sessions, serving as his communications director. Miller and Sessions were responsible for defeating theBorder Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act in theHouse of Representatives. As an aide to Sessions, Miller worked to influence the coverage ofBreitbart News, providing links to the far-right websiteVDARE and the white-supremacist online-only magazineAmerican Renaissance toBreitbart editors.
In January 2016, Miller joinedDonald Trump'scampaign in that year'spresidential election as a senior policy advisor. He wrote many of Trump's speeches, including his eventualinaugural address. After Trump's victory, Miller was appointed as senior advisor to the president and the White House director of speechwriting. He largely influenced Trump'simmigration policy, including the practice ofseparating children from their families. Additionally, Miller authored theexecutive order instituting theMuslim travel ban. After Trump's loss in the2020 presidential election, Miller remained with Trump. He was subpoenaed by theSmith special counsel investigation examiningefforts to overturn the election, including theJanuary 6 Capitol attack. In April 2021, Miller establishedAmerica First Legal, a conservative public interest organization. He advised Trump'scampaign in the2024 presidential election.
In November 2024, Trump named Miller as his deputy chief of staff for policy and his homeland security advisor. He is the youngest person and the firstmillennial to serve as homeland security advisor. In Trump'ssecond term, Miller emerged as one of the most powerful Trump administration officials and a key author of numerous policies. Miller is on theSouthern Poverty Law Center's list of extremists.
Stephen N. Miller[1] was born on August 23, 1985,[2] in the North of Montana neighborhood inSanta Monica, California.[3] Miller was the second of three children[4] to Michael and Miriam (née Glosser) Miller.[5][a] Michael was a lawyer and real estate investor, while Miriam was a social worker.[7] Miriam grew up in a family ofNew Deal Democrats[8], but possessed conservative views[9], which she shared with Michael, described by Miriam's brother David as aReagan Republican.[10] Miller is ofEastern European Jewish descent through his mother and father, who were grandchildren of Jews who escaped persecution;[5] his maternal great-great-grandfather, Wolf Glosser, was born inAntopal, Belarus, and immigrated to theUnited States in 1903 amidpogroms in the Russian Empire that began following theassassination of Alexander II.[7] Wolf—who changed his name to Louis upon arriving inEllis Island—and his son, Nathan, foundedGlosser Brothers in 1906 inJohnstown, Pennsylvania.[11] Michael's father's business, Cordary, began experiencingcash flow problems in 1992 as litigation filed by Michael against his former law firm mounted and the United States entereda recession. Additionally, several Cordary properties were affected by the1994 Northridge earthquake.[12] The Millers sold their home in North of Montana in 1998, purchasing a smaller home south ofInterstate 10.[13] Miller went toHebrew school at Beth Shir Shalom, where classmates identified him as a contrarian.[8] Miriam's brother, the neuropsychologist David S. Glosser, wrote an article inPolitico Magazine in August 2018 accusing Miller of hypocrisy for his anti-immigration stance.[14]
Miller attended Franklin Elementary School, where he was described by a former teacher as "off by himself all the time",[15] andLincoln Middle School.[16] In 1999, he began attendingSanta Monica High School.[17] Miller opposed his high school's chapter of theChicano Student Movement of Aztlán and was said to have taunted immigrants by the chapter's founder; he reportedly insisted to other students and teachers that they speak English. Miller called intoThe Larry Elder Show (1993–2008; 2010–2014) and successfully brought the eponymous host,Larry Elder, to his high school.[18] He later appeared after theSeptember 11 attacks to describe an incident in which a Canadian teacher placed theflag of the United States on the floor and discussed its importance, though Miller alleged that the teacher had dragged the flag across the floor and trampled over it. Miller appeared onThe Larry Elder Show sixty-nine times, according to an estimate he gave to Elder, and asked Elder for an internship. Elder later told the journalistJean Guerrero in 2019 that Miller was "full of energy and passion".[19] He wasconfirmed at The Santa Monica Synagogue, aReform temple.[8]
At Santa Monica, Miller garnered attention, having been lampooned in anApril Fools' Day issue of the school newspaper,The Samohi. In 2002, he ran for student announcer, giving a speech in which he questioned being told to pick up trash when the school hired custodians; the student body disapproved of Miller's comments and he lost to a German immigrant. Miller's appearances onThe Larry Elder Show were heard by the conservative writerDavid Horowitz, who Miller controversially asked to appear at Santa Monica.[20] In an article on Horowitz's website,FrontPage Magazine, Miller called for Santa Monica to institute thePledge of Allegiance, a demand the school complied with, and for the school's culture to embrace "inclusive patriotism", in contrast tomulticulturalism. Santa Monica's principal and its district superintendent blamed Miller for having caused a tax increase initiative to fail. According to Miller's article, the principal distributed a memorandum to teachers, ordering them to discuss theIraq War in a neutral and balanced manner.[21] Miller was involved in the school's band program, tennis, religious studies, and political and youth groups.[22]
Miller began attendingDuke University in 2003[22] to study political science.[23] There, he was nicknamed "Guns" for introducing himself on theEast Campus with, "I'm from Santa Monica, California—and I like guns." He was involved in a relationship with aMexican-American woman pseudonymously referred to as "Yovana" in Guerrero's bookHatemonger (2020). Yovana, who espoused conservative views, left Duke at the end of their freshman year. In 2004, outraged at Duke's decision to schedule aPalestine Solidarity Movement conference, Miller founded the university's chapter of Horowitz'sStudents for Academic Freedom and rallied students to oppose the conference.[24] The following year, he was the author of a column inThe Chronicle, Duke's student newspaper, titled "Miller Time". Miller continued to critique multiculturalism. His combative debate strategy, particularly in his column, earned Miller a pugnacious reputation.[25] Miller invited Horowitz to speak at Duke, who in turn named Miller to lead the Terrorism Awareness Project, an initiative that conflatedMuslims andArabs with terrorists. Miller appeared onFox & Friends (1998–present) to promote the effort.[26]
In the aftermath of theDuke lacrosse rape hoax, Miller defended the three members of theDuke Blue Devils men's lacrosse team who were accused of rape, finding that they had been presumed guilty for being white males. He appeared onNancy Grace (2005–2016) to further advocate for the lacrosse players.[27] After reports emerged that the accuser,Crystal Mangum, had concealed the results of a negativeDNA test, Miller continued to discuss the issue, condemning an advertisement that noted the persistent fear of students "who know themselves to be objects of racism and sexism" in an interview withBill O'Reilly onThe O'Reilly Factor (1996–2017).[28] By junior year, Miller had joined the Duke Conservative Union. He had become the organization's executive director by the beginning of his senior year, a position that allowed him to fundraise.[29] Miller, fixated on establishing amemorial for the September 11 attacks, forgot to take hisLSAT to go to law school.[23] Through the Duke Conservative Union, Miller met and subsequently praisedRichard B. Spencer, who later became known as a white supremacist. The two organized an immigration debate in March 2007.[30]
After graduating from Duke University, Miller traveled acrossEurasia, including embarking on aBirthright Israel trip.[31] Through David Horowitz,[32] Miller began working forMinnesota representativeMichele Bachmann by December 2007[33] as her press secretary.[32] He moved toWashington, D.C., where his family had assisted him in purchasing aUS$450,000 condominium.[32] By 2009, Miller—and independently Horowitz—had become disillusioned with Bachmann. Horowitz referred Miller toArizona representativeJohn Shadegg. Miller participated inTea Party protests againstBarack Obama with Shadegg. In June 2009, Miller began working forAlabama senatorJeff Sessions as his press secretary after Horowitz recommended him.[34] Miller sought to legitimize his criticisms of immigration and garner a larger audience; he formed relationships with anti-immigration organizations, including theCenter for Immigration Studies, theFederation for American Immigration Reform, andNumbersUSA.[35] Miller became Session's communications manager by August 2014.[23] That year, he purchased aUS$1 million condominium inCityCenterDC with the assistance of his parents.[36]
As a communications aide to Sessions, Miller worked to influence the editorial coverage ofBreitbart News. He sent editors links to the far-right websiteVDARE and the white-supremacist online-only magazineAmerican Renaissance;[37] Horowitz attributed Miller's discovery ofAmerican Renaissance to his profile ofJared Taylor.[37] Miller's efforts legitimizedBreitbart's language inCongress[38] and influencedThe Daily Caller's immigration coverage.[39] Miller, joined by Sessions, mounted a successful campaign to disparage theBorder Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act, an immigration reform bill proposed by fourDemocratic senators and fourRepublican senators known as theGang of Eight. The bill passed in the Democratic-controlledSenate, but was not considered in the Republican-controlledHouse of Representatives after Miller brought House staffers a binder with talking points and research he had conducted.[40] Miller assistedDave Brat in mounting a primary challenge to defeatVirginia representativeEric Cantor, who was serving asHouse majority leader at the time.[23] In January 2015, Miller and Sessions authoredImmigration Handbook for the New Republican Majority, a rebuttal to the Republican Party's post-mortem afterMitt Romney's loss in the2012 presidential election.[41]
In November 2019, theSouthern Poverty Law Center published a summary of approximately nine hundred emails from Miller that were sent toBreitbart News from March 2015 to June 2016. The emails were provided by Katie McHugh, a former editor at the website. Correspondences between Miller and McHugh show a shared concern that Mexican survivors ofHurricane Patricia could be grantedtemporary protected status—an exchange in which Miller included a link to VDARE, and that e-commerce websites had removedConfederate merchandise in the aftermath of theCharleston church shooting—an article that appeared later onBreitbart. Miller urgedBreitbart editors to readThe Camp of the Saints (1973), a novel that depicts the destruction ofWestern civilization through mass immigration; days later,Julia Hahn reviewed the book for the website.[42] Kurt Bardella, a former spokesman forBreitbart, described Miller as "almost ade facto assignment editor". The Southern Poverty Law Center later obtained additional emails in which Miller linked an article from a think tank about an apparent increase in the number of newborns named "Mohammed", a story that appeared on Breitbart the following day, and an email in which Miller praised the work of the anti-immigration commentatorJason Richwine.[43] Miller additionally sought to disparageFlorida senatorMarco Rubio.[44]
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In June 2015, the businessmanDonald Trump declaredhis candidacy in the2016 presidential election.[45] Trump'sviews on race interested Miller;[46] in an interview withJulie Hirschfeld Davis andMichael D. Shear forBorder Wars (2019), Miller felt that Trump "doubled down, breaking that apology-retreat cycle" and giving confidence to a customarily dissatisfied populace.[47] Miller was particularly invested in defeating Rubio, the son of Cuban immigrants and a member of the Gang of Eight who wasrunning for president.Breitbart News's Matthew Boyle referred Miller toSam Nunberg, a political consultant working for the Trump campaign. Despite a recommendation from Sessions,Corey Lewandowski, Trump's campaign manager, was reluctant to hire Miller. Nonetheless, Miller contributed to Trump's campaign without its support. He prepared Trump's immigration policies.[48]
On January 25, 2016, Miller joinedDonald Trump'spresidential campaign as a senior policy advisor.[49] He began writing speeches for Trump atSteve Bannon's behest[41] and with encouragement from Trump's son-in-law,Jared Kushner.[50] Miller intensified Trump's language, including by embedding the term "radical Islam" into his speeches.[51] At Miller's behest, Sessions endorsed Trump in February, becoming the first senator to do so;[52]Politico wrote that the endorsement was damaging toTexas senatorTed Cruz, who had declaredhis candidacy on a platform intended to attract voters who identified with the Tea Party movement and evangelical beliefs, and legitimized Trump's campaign.[53] Miller's interview with theBreitbart News Daily (2015–present) hostBrandon Darby the following month influenced theNational Border Patrol Council's decision to endorse Trump.[54]
By March, Miller's role had included serving as an opening act for Trump at rallies.[23] He wrote Trump's acceptance speech at the2016 Republican National Convention[55] and served as the campaign's policy liaison to the convention.[23] Miller assisted Trump in preparing for debates withHillary Clinton.[56] After the convention, the campaign switched to ateleprompter and elevated Miller to Trump's principal speechwriter.[57] By August, he had become Trump's national policy director. That month, Miller was appointed to lead an economic team.[58]Politico described Miller as an "instrumental advisor for Trump on the issue" of immigration.[59] His influence in writing speeches amplified after Trump was convinced by Bannon to read from speeches written by him and Miller.[60] After Trump won the 2016 election, Miller retained his role as national policy director for thetransition.[61] He led much of the policy work to prepare for Trump'sfirst one hundred days.[62] Trump designated Miller to write hisinaugural address.[63]
On December 14, 2016, Trump named Miller as hissenior advisor to the president for policy.[64] His role was later clarified to have oversight over theDomestic Policy Council.[65] In addition to Bannon's contributions, Miller wrote many of Trump's initialexecutive orders,[66] including the order that instituted theMuslim travel ban.[67] In contrast to the internal faction of Trump advisors revolving aroundReince Priebus, theWhite House chief of staff who previously served as thechair of the Republican National Committee,[68] Miller was affiliated with Bannon.[69] According toPolitico, allies of Priebus were "wary" of Miller, among other aides critical of moderating Trump's politics.[70] Miller led aprincipals committee meeting on immigration in January 2017, according to theLos Angeles Times.[71] Miller's dominant position in developing Trump'simmigration policy garnered him criticism.[72]
In February,The New York Times reported that Trump had urged Priebus to implement conventional protocols, including limiting Bannon and Miller's unfettered access, after reports that other Trump officials were not briefed about the travel ban order until it had already been signed.[73] Miller wrote Trump'sspeech to ajoint session of Congress that month.[74] He sought to purge thefederal government ofBarack Obama's political appointees.[75] The dynamics of Miller's influence in theTrump administration shifted by April as Bannon entered into conflict with Jared Kushner; Miller informed colleagues that he was not affiliated with Bannon. That month, he began to work withOffice of American Innovation, led by Kushner, and began focusing on energy and regulatory issues.[76] Miller remained an ally of Bannon.[77]
Miller supported thedismissal of James Comey, thedirector of the Federal Bureau of Investigation,[78] and drafted the letter firing him.[79] He and Bannon were allegedly responsible for removing a line in Trump's speech before the2017 Brussels NATO summit mentioning Article 5 of theNorth Atlantic Treaty,[80] leading to a dispute withH. R. McMaster, thenational security advisor.[81] In June,Politico reported that secretary of stateRex Tillerson had disputed with Miller over immigration after Miller told Tillerson that theDepartment of State should be tougher on immigration.[82] Prior to assuming the position of chief of staff,John F. Kelly worked to develop a relationship with Miller.[83] In August, Miller publicly sparred withCNN'sJim Acosta—whom he accused of "cosmopolitan bias"—in a press briefing for theRAISE Act.[84] Days later,Reuters reported that Miller was a possible contender forWhite House communications director, succeedingAnthony Scaramucci.[85]
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In Kelly'sWhite House Office, Miller was largely successful in influencing Trump.[86] He had previously conflicted with Kelly, then thesecretary of homeland security, in seeking to appoint the president of theNational Border Patrol Council as the director ofCustoms and Border Protection and the president of the National Immigrant and Customs Enforcement Council as thedirector of Immigration and Customs Enforcement; Miller was unsuccessful. Consequently, Miller and his allies blocked Kelly in naming Alan Metzler as his chief of staff, who instead offered the position toKirstjen Nielsen.Elaine Duke succeeded Kelly as the acting secretary of homeland security. Miller opposed appointing Duke to the position permanently.[87] He advocated for pardoningJoe Arpaio, the sheriff ofMaricopa County who was convicted ofcontempt of court, securinghis release from prison.[88]
In September, Trump announced a gradual end toDeferred Action for Childhood Arrivals,[89] a move that Miller had encouraged Trump to take for months.[90] That month,The New York Times reported that Miller had been advocating for adjusting the refugee quota established in theRefugee Act from 110,000—set by Obama before he left office—to 15,000.[91] Though Trump later stated he would work withDemocrats on a deal to restore Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals and he planned to set the quota at 45,000 refugees, Miller's efforts had an impact on immigration policy.[92] He outlined several hard-line immigration proposals, including hiring ten thousand immigration enforcement agents, in a draft that month, after Trump had reached a tentative agreement with Senate minority leaderChuck Schumer and House minority leaderNancy Pelosi on Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals.[93]
In January 2018, asa federal government shutdown neared over disputes involving Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, Trump privately stated that he was willing to negotiate to extend legal status to immigrants brought to the United States illegally as children; in response, Kelly and Miller rejected a deal unless it was attached to austere immigration restrictions.[94] Republican negotiators accused Miller of preventing a deal from being struck.[95] Miller wrote that year'sState of the Union Address.[96] He advocated for a veto of theConsolidated Appropriations Act, a bill that would fundthat fiscal year, over funds for theTrump wall, pointing to the possibility of a Republican loss inthat year's elections.[97] Miller worked against the Department of State'sBureau of Population, Refugees and Migration.[98] After Kelly Sadler was dismissed over comments she made about the political viability and mortalityArizona senatorJohn McCain—who was suffering from brain cancer—Miller hadJulia Hahn appointed to cover her communications work in order to advance Trump's hardline immigration messaging.[99] Miller sought to garner support for a bill paralleling his immigration framework in June.[100]
Miller was an advocate for the Trump administration'sfamily separation policy.[101] In April, he was "instrumental" in Trump's decision to intensify enforcement of the policy, according toThe New York Times. Miller was critical to Trump's endorsement of the family separation policy.[102] The policy incited controversy, including an internal conflict,[103] targeted towards Miller in June.[104] Amid the backlash, Miller continued to lead a plan to use executive authority and rule changes to institute an immigration crackdown ahead of that year's elections, believing immigration to be a key issue.[105] He conducted meetings privately, in fear of "hostile bureaucrats" leaking policies, according toPolitico.[106] That month, theSupreme Court affirmed the Muslim travel ban; chief justiceJohn Roberts supported Miller's assertion that the president could useSection 212(f) of theImmigration and Nationality Act to "suspend the entry of all aliens or any class of aliens" through any necessary means.[107] In an effort to quell outcry, Trump signed an executive order ending the practice of family separation.[108]
According to theFinancial Times, Miller sought to ban student visas for Chinese nationals, but his efforts were halted byTerry Branstad, theambassador to China.[109] In August,The New York Times reported that the Trump administration was considering a second reduction in the refugee quota. TheTimes noted that opponents of Miller—including Tillerson and Duke—had been ousted in favor of anti-immigrant officials, giving Miller's plan a greater chance of success.[110] He privately urged Trump to continue on his border wall.[111] In September, secretary of stateMike Pompeo announced that the quota would be set at 30,000.[112] That month, the Department of Homeland Security proposed a rule denyinglawful permanent residency to immigrants who have received government benefits, such as theSupplemental Nutrition Assistance Program,Temporary Assistance for Needy Families,Medicare, andSection 8.[113] The volume of immigration actions the following month—the deployment of federal troops to theMexico–United States border and proposed executive action on blocking theCentral American migrant caravans and endingbirthright citizenship—was described a Republican close to the White House as "a dream come true" for Miller.[114]
Asa second federal government shutdown in December 2018 neared over funding the Trump wall, Miller publicly stated that the Trump administration would "do whatever is necessary" to build the border wall, including shutting down the government.[115] In a meeting to resolve the shutdown, Kushner defended Miller as an expert on the subject of immigration,[116] though Kushner's support for legal immigration led to a conflict with Miller.[117] Miller's influence with Trump led to concerns from senior Republican aides that he could convince Trump that accepting a compromise would amount to humiliation.[118] Trump worked onthat year's State of the Union address with Miller, who sought to reassert himself on a speech that involved immigration.[119]
Miller opposedRonald Vitiello's nomination asdirector of Immigration and Customs Enforcement[120] and Nielsen's tenure as secretary of homeland security;[121] Trump withdrew Vitiello as his nominee[120] and Nielsen was ousted within a two-day timespan in April.[121] The departures, includingRandolph Alles asdirector of Secret Service, continued in the following days in a mass purge across the Department of Homeland Security, in whatThe New York Times described as a signal of Miller's "enduring influence".[122] Miller leveraged the uncertainty to pursue an aggressive immigration policy, pressuring mid-level officials at federal departments and agencies to be more vigorous in halting immigration.[123] He pushed for the purge to continue and for several immigration policies, including housing migrants insanctuary cities and extending detention times, to be implemented.[124] The purge led to concerns about Miller's authority from congressional Republicans, includingTexas senatorJohn Cornyn.[125] According toThe New York Times, Miller orchestrated the purge.[126]Kevin McAleenan, the acting secretary of homeland security, resisted Miller's continued efforts to dismiss officials.[127] Miller was influential in Trump's decision to nameKen Cuccinelli as the acting director ofCitizenship and Immigration Services.[128]
Miller advocated for theDepartment of Housing and Urban Development to force the eviction of undocumented immigrants.[129] In June, Trump imposed tariffs onMexico over the border crisis, a suggestion that had been offered by Miller andPeter Navarro, the director of theOffice of Trade and Manufacturing Policy.[130] The following month, Citizenship and Immigration Services issueda regulation favoring wealthier immigrants for lawful permanent residency, an initiative Miller had led.[131] In September, Miller sought to further reduce the refugee quota.[132] In December, he developed a plan to use information theDepartment of Health and Human Services had on migrant children to target them and their families for deportation. The plan would have also embedded immigration enforcement agents in the department'sOffice of Refugee Resettlement. The effort was rejected by officials at the Department of Health and Human Services.[133]
Miller led speechwriting for the2020 State of the Union Address, though he sought to temper his influence on its tone.[134] In February, he marriedKatie Rose Waldman, the press secretary to vice presidentMike Pence and a former spokeswoman for Nielsen, at theTrump International Hotel Washington, D.C..[135] Trump attended their wedding.[136] Miller and Waldman met through mutual friends in 2018 and engaged a year-and-a-half later.[135] They have three children together.[137] TheCOVID-19 pandemic provided opportunities for Miller to advance his immigration policies. The foundation for Miller's actions came in prior attempts to use the president's authority in relatively minor health emergencies.[138] In April, Trump suspended family-based immigration. Miller told conservative allies in a private conference call that the halt to immigration was one step in a broader plan.[139] Miller's efforts at the Department of Health and Human Services returned with a more amenable response.[140]
In May, chief of staffMark Meadows suggested that Miller should serve as the acting director of theDomestic Policy Council afterJoe Grogan's resignation, though Kushner successfully proposedDerek Lyons instead.[141] After his wife Katie tested positive forCOVID-19 that month, Miller was forced to quarantine.[142] He continued to push for changes to immigration policy to follow up on Trump's order in April, raising the standard of proof for asylum seekers.[143] According to secretary of defenseMark Esper, he reportedly called for as many as a quarter of a million troops to be stationed at the border with Mexico.[144] Miller participated in debate preparation sessions againstJoe Biden.[145] In October, Miller was among those who tested positive for COVID-19 amidan outbreak of the virus at theWhite House.[146] Miller remained with Trump after theJanuary 6 Capitol attack;[147] he wrote the speech Trump gave preceding the attack.[148] Miller contributed to Trump's speech condemning the attack afterhis second impeachment.[149] In the final days of Trump's term, Miller continued to work to implement Trump's immigration policies.[150]
In November 2021, theHouse Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol subpoenaed Miller, citing hisfalse claims of fraud and his role in theTrump fake electors plot.[151] Miller filed a lawsuit to block the committee from accessing his phone records in March 2022, arguing that the subpoena would invade on his parents' privacy since he was on their family plan.[152] The following month, he privately testified before the committee over the speech Trump gave preceding the attack. Representatives pressed Miller on the use of the word "we" in potentially inciting the mob.[148]
In October 2021, Trump assertedexecutive privilege over documents relating to Miller as theDepartment of Justice mountedan investigation into attempts to overturn the 2020 presidential election.[153] The Department of Justice subpoenaed Miller in September 2022.[154] JudgeBeryl Howell compelled him to testify in March 2023,[155] a ruling that was reaffirmed by theCourt of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit weeks later.[156]
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In January 2021, after theinauguration of Joe Biden, Miller stated he was "focused on a variety of projects to advance theAmerica First agenda."[157] In March,Politico reported that Miller, had begun formingAmerica First Legal, a conservative public interest organization. According toPolitico, Miller consulted theConservative Partnership Institute and lawyerKen Starr, who authored theStarr Report that led to theimpeachment of Bill Clinton, and requested funding fromChicago Cubs co-ownerTodd Ricketts.[158] He announced the organization in March[158] and established it the following month.[159] In February, Miller briefedRepublican Study Committee members.[160] He began advisingAlabama representativeMo Brooks in his campaign for the2022 Senate election, appearing at Brooks's campaign announcement the following month.[161]
In December, Miller began advisingBridgewater Associates chief executiveDave McCormick in his campaign for the2022 Senate election inPennsylvania.[162] He was courted by speaker of the HouseKevin McCarthy in his effort to garner support from theHouse of Representative's far-right members, particularly theFreedom Caucus.[163] In November 2023,The New York Times reported that Miller was leading an initiative to appoint several lawyers to Trump's second term, includingChad Mizelle—who served as the acting general counsel of the Department of Homeland Security,Jonathan F. Mitchell—the formersolicitor general of Texas,Aaron Reitz—the chief of staff forTexas senatorTed Cruz, andBrent Webster—the first assistantattorney general of Texas.[164] That month, theTimes reported on Miller's plans to expand Trump'simmigration policy, including raids, mass deportations, and larger detention facilities.[165]
On November 11, 2024,CNN reported that president-electDonald Trump was expected to name Miller as hisWhite House deputy chief of staff for policy.[166] Trump's selection was confirmed by vice president-electJD Vance onX hours later.[167] On November 13, Trump publicly announced that Miller would serve as his deputy chief of staff for policy and hishomeland security advisor.[168] Although his role was muted, Miller was expected to have significant influence over agency heads.[169] He began educatingElon Musk on the federal bureaucracy;[170] the two men had found a common cause in describing undocumented immigrants as a threat to Western civilization.[171]
Miller was an architect of Trump'simmigration policies in hissecond term,[172] and he oversaw a team writing initial executive orders.[171] His strategy involved using existing laws, such as theAlien Enemies Act, to quickly carry out deportations and avoid time-consuming hearings.[172] Additionally, he sought to reinstateTitle 42 expulsions.[173] Miller told advisers in Trump'spresidential transition not to express concern that immigration actions could yield litigation.[174] AfterPam Bondi, Trump's nominee to serve asattorney general followingMatt Gaetz's withdrawal, successfully advocated for Trump to nominateHillsborough County sheriffChad Chronister as hisadministrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Miller was critical of Chronister, who withdrew his nomination.[175]
According toIllinois senatorDick Durbin, Miller pressured acting deputy attorney generalEmil Bove to act more vigorously in dismissing officials at theFederal Bureau of Investigation, citing the bureau's nominal director,Kash Patel.[176] Defying prior assertions in court papers, Miller told reporters in April 2025 thatKilmar Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran national, was not mistakenly deported.[177] The following month, he stated that the Trump administration was considering suspendinghabeas corpus for immigrants.[178] In May 2025,Axios reported that Miller and secretary of homeland securityKristi Noem had set an arrest quota of three thousand people per day;[179] theDepartment of Justice later denied the existence of a quota in a court case overprotests in Los Angeles in June.[180]
Miller led Trump's federalization of theDistrict of Columbia National Guard.[181] After theassassination of Charlie Kirk, he appeared onThe Charlie Kirk Show—hosted by Vance—to vow that he would use the Department of Justice and theDepartment of Homeland Security to dismantle organizations involved in an alleged "vast domestic terror movement" responsible for Kirk's murder.[182] As homeland security advisor, Miller separated theHomeland Security Council from theNational Security Council, in a break from precedent. Miller, through the council, assumed a leading role in the United States's decision tostrike Venezuelan boats, according to anonymous sources as reported byThe Guardian.[183]
Miller's politics have been described asfar-right,[184]anti-immigration,[185][186] andwhite nationalist.[187][188][189] Miller began identifying with ideologies associated withconservatism in the seventh grade[36] after purchasing a subscription toGuns & Ammo (1958–present). In one issue of the magazine, the actorCharlton Heston wrote a column, leading Miller to readGuns, Crimes, and Freedom (1994) byNational Rifle Association of America chief executiveWayne LaPierre.[190] Former high school classmates of Miller speculated toThe New York Times that Miller enjoyed contrarianism and confrontations. The conservative political commentatorLarry Elder told theTimes that Miller had readAyn Rand andThe Federalist Papers in high school.[9] According to his former dormmates atDuke University, Miller described himself as alibertarian.[191] Miller supportedDonald Trump running for president as early as 2014.[192] In July 2020, theSouthern Poverty Law Center added Miller to its database of extremists.[193] AfterBarack Obama spoke at the2020 Democratic National Convention, Miller referred to him as "one of the worst presidents, if not the worst president, in U.S. history."[194] According to theTimes, Miller "has strongly held opinions about even minor matters, like men's fashion".[171]
Miller is an opponent ofillegal immigration. He has argued that documented and undocumented immigrants have expanded the U.S. labor market, leading to reduced wages.[195] In January 2017, Miller privately proposed eliminating the lottery process forH-1B visas in favor of a system that would give preference to visa petitions for high-salary jobs.[196] As a communications aide toJeff Sessions, he opposedDeferred Action for Childhood Arrivals as "mass backdoor amnesty".[197] Miller is a proponent of stricter asylum rules,[198] tellingFox News that Afghan refugees fleeing the country after the2021 Taliban offensive would bring chaos to the United States.[199] He defended Trump's decision to declare theNational Emergency Concerning the Southern Border of the United States as sanctioned by theNational Emergencies Act.[200] Miller supported a choice model for thefamily separation policy in which families would be forced to decide whether they would willingly separate their children or waive their child's humanitarian protections, enjoining them in detention.[201]
In May 2018, Miller blamedDemocrats for theMexico–United States border crisis.[202] Speaking in his "personal capacity", Miller described presidentJoe Biden as a "radical outlier in the whole of human civilization" overhis immigration policy in October 2020.[203] In his first tweet, hours afterBiden's inauguration, Miller criticized Biden for what he described as "opening travel from terror hot spots, proposing a giant amnesty, [and] halting the installation of security barriers along the Southwest border".[204] In January 2023, after Biden announced that he was moving to institute a major crackdown on immigration, Miller alleged that the president was seeking to "increase the foreign-born population of the United States as speedily as possible".[205] Miller repeated his sentiment after Biden extendedtemporary protected status to Venezuelans in September.[206]
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After theSeptember 11 attacks, Miller wrote that he relished "the thought of watchingOsama Bin Laden being riddled to death with bullets." In 2003, he told classmates on a bus that he supported cutting off the fingers of "Saddam Hussein and his henchmen."[207] InA Sacred Oath (2022), secretary of defenseMark Esper alleged that, in aSituation Room meeting convened over an operation tokill Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the founder and first leader of theIslamic State, Miller suggested taking Baghdadi's head, dipping it in pig's blood, and parading it around to warn other terrorists. Miller denied giving those remarks and referred to Esper as a "moron".[208]
Miller decried his high school for offeringcondoms to students—describingsex between minors as strictlystatutory rape—and for allowing a club for homosexual students.[23] In "Miller Time" forDuke University's student newspaper,The Chronicle, Miller defended thedeath penalty for rapists and child abusers, argued that women earn less than men because men take harder jobs, criticized "unrelenting health fascists" for lying about thehealth effects of tobacco, stated thatHollywood was a leftist "propaganda machine" — citing films such asBrokeback Mountain (2005) — and espoused concern over an apparentwar on Christmas.[209]
Miller referred to the whistleblower who revealed the call between Ukrainian presidentVolodymyr Zelenskyy and Trump that led toa scandal and Trump'simpeachment as a partisan "saboteur".[210] After Trump was found guilty ina criminal trial involving his concealment of payments made to the pornographic actressStormy Daniels, Miller urged Republican district attorneys to initiate "every investigation they need to" and Republicans on congressional committees to leverage their "subpoena power in every way" possible to defeat "Marxism and beat these Communists."[211] After Biden's son,Hunter, was convicted onfirearm charges, Miller alleged that Hunter had not been charged withfailing to register as a foreign agent, in reference to theBiden–Ukraine conspiracy theory, because it would implicate his father.[212]
Miller has alleged that voter fraud occurred in the2016 and2020 presidential elections. In February 2017, he toldGeorge Stephanopoulos onABC News that voters had been bussed intoNew Hampshire, a claim rejected by state political figures and officials.[213] After Trump's loss in the 2020 election, Miller appeared on Fox News to argue that an "alternate slate of electors" could ensure Trump's victory, a legally impermissible maneuver.[214]
Miller was critical of large social media companies banning Trump or Trump-aligned organizations following theJanuary 6 Capitol attack.[215] In September 2025, he accused judges and politicians from the Democratic Party of being responsible for thekilling of Iryna Zarutska, a Ukrainian refugee who was fatally stabbed on a train inNorth Carolina.[216]
In high school, Miller argued thatracism was fictitious and thatracial segregation did not exist because it was not legally imposed, owing to thecivil rights movement. In strategic plan meetings at his high school district, he decriedbilingual education, multicultural activities, and announcements inSpanish.[217] Written shortly after graduating high school, Miller praisedAmerican exceptionalism for abolishingslavery in ninety years.[23] He also wrote that impoverishedIslamic countries were "poor and failing" because "they have refused to embrace the values that make our country great". In anAP United States Government and Politics class, he justified theTrail of Tears.[218] Writing for a Christian publication, he defended the conservative politicianWilliam Bennett after he gave comments that suggested that aborting everyAfrican American, while immoral, would reduce the crime rate. He described a freshman orientation speech delivered by the poetMaya Angelou as "racial paranoia" and rife with "multicultural clichés".[219]
In writing speeches for Trump, Miller marked a shift in language that included terms such as "radical Islamic terrorism", a phrase alleged by critics to insinuate that all Muslims are terrorists. In an interview withThe New York Times in February 2021, he criticized Joe Biden's lexicon for beingpolitically correct, specifically noting that critics of the term "equity" would deride it as discrimination.[220]
Media from Commons
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| Preceded by | United States Homeland Security Advisor 2025–present | Incumbent |
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d Currently styled asDeputy National Security Advisor for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism | ||
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