Stephen Miller starts his first full day as White House chief of staff on Tuesday, a day after taking over from Susie Wiles — and a day after the incoming Democratic House leader said he had no interest in working with him. The Stephen Miller chief of staff appointment puts the architect of the administration’s immigration crackdown at the centre of the White House.
President Donald Trump announced on Friday 6 November that Miller, who had been deputy chief of staff, would replace Wiles from Monday 9 November, according to CNBC. Wiles announced her resignation the previous Thursday night. Miller gave his first speech after the appointment at Mar-a-Lago on 6 November, saying Trump had made the Republican Party “stronger and more popular and more resilient than ever before”.
Jeffries: “zero interest” in working with Miller
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, who is expected to become Speaker when Democrats take the House in January, was asked about Miller at a press conference on Monday 9 November. According to reports of the event, he called Miller a “stone-cold racist” and said: “His track record speaks for itself, and I’ve got zero interest in working with that kind of individual.”
Jeffries’ remarks came as Democrats prepare to take control of the chamber, and about a week before Democrats vote on whether he should remain in his leadership post. His position matters because the chief of staff is normally the White House’s main channel to congressional leaders, especially with a funding deadline on 11 December and a lame-duck session under way.
What Miller’s promotion means
Miller is best known as the driving force behind the administration’s immigration policies, including the deportation drive that Trump himself described on Sunday’s 60 Minutes as possibly “too tough”. Former Homeland Security chief of staff Miles Taylor, speaking to NPR on Monday, said Miller was the type of person “you expect to be with the leader in the bunker until the very, very end”.
Analysts say the appointment signals that immigration enforcement will remain central to the White House agenda, even as Trump talks about a possible deal with Democrats for longtime residents. The White House, asked by NPR about Taylor’s appearance, dismissed him as a leaker. Miller’s first full day will be watched for signs of how he runs the West Wing — and whether the Democrats’ refusal to deal with him hardens into a governing problem.
Sources: NPR, CNBC, Associated Press, PrimeTimer
