President Trump named Stephen Miller his new White House chief of staff on Friday.
Miller, 41, replaces Susie Wiles, who stepped down the same day after Republicans suffered sweeping losses in Tuesday’s midterm elections. The deputy chief of staff for policy and homeland security adviser since Trump’s return to the White House will now serve as the president’s top aide, a promotion widely seen as Trump preparing for confrontations with a Democrat-controlled Congress.
“The mission now is more clear than ever: Fight with all of our soul to support our President and defend this magnificent Republic,” Miller said Friday.
Taylor Budowich, a former deputy chief of staff for communications and personnel who worked alongside Miller in the West Wing, offered a glowing endorsement of the appointment. “Many people know Stephen for his fierce loyalty to the president, but more than that, he is the administration’s most organized and competent operator,” Budowich said. “He has built and managed one of the most effective policy teams in American history. He was born to be Donald Trump’s chief of staff.”
The announcement drew swift praise from cabinet members. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Wrote: “Next to me, Stephen Miller is the strongest MAHA supporter in the administration. It’s time to unleash the Kraken.”
Attorney General Todd Blanche also welcomed the change, writing that he was “looking forward to continuing our work with my good friend Stephen Miller as Chief,” Blanche added: “Together we’ve reduced crime to historic levels, enhanced public safety throughout our communities, and continue to root out the massive fraud that has taken advantage of American taxpayers. We’re not slowing down.”
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth offered a brief endorsement, tweeting: “Patriots in control.” Katie Zacharia, who served five days as White House press secretary last month, tweeted: “Time to ramp up the deportations.”
But the elevation triggered immediate backlash from across the political spectrum. Top House Democrat Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) delivered one of the harshest condemnations. “Stephen Miller is a dangerous xenophobe and reckless extremist who has American blood on his hands,” Jeffries tweeted. “His presence in government should be eradicated like a malignant tumor. Fire him today.”
Republican dissent was unusually direct. Rep. Marlin Stutzman (R-Ind.), who will serve in the diminished GOP caucus next year, had already called for Miller to be fired after the election and told Semafor his elevation was a “horrible decision.” Retiring anti-Trump Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) said, “it is a colossal mistake and the last thing we need 72 hours after the ass whooping we got on Tuesday.”
A prominent Republican consultant, speaking anonymously, predicted aggressive management under Miller. “Miller as COS? Full Gestapo it is,” this person said, describing Miller, who is Jewish, as a “good guy” who would nonetheless bring an “iron fist” to management and policy. “Hispanic voters were already heading for the exits,” the consultant added. “Nice of us to hold the door.”
The consultant’s warning reflected broader Republican anxiety about Hispanic voter defections. Although polls showed most Hispanic voters supported mass deportations in the abstract during the 2024 campaign and backed Trump in large numbers, the community reacted negatively to specific enforcement cases. Republicans lost Hispanic support in the midterms, undermining GOP hopes for a lasting realignment with the demographic.
Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar (R-Fla.), who leads in ongoing vote tabulations for re-election, had filmed a campaign video in front of the White House denouncing deportations and urging Trump to “be careful what your advisers are telling you about immigration policy; The same Hispanics who helped you get to the White House in 2024 feel betrayed.”
Latinas for Trump founder Ileana Garcia, a Florida state senator, had already staked out opposition to Miller months earlier. Asked in September what Republicans could do to regain Hispanic support, Garcia told The Post: “Fire Stephen Miller!”
Miller’s strident approach marks a sharp departure from Wiles’ more modest demeanor. He has served as a senior adviser and top speechwriter during Trump’s first term, and his policy portfolio in the second term has centered on accelerated deportations of illegal immigrants, a centerpiece of Trump’s 2024 comeback campaign.
Trump has periodically retreated from hardline immigration stances. During his first term in 2018, he imposed and then abandoned a Miller-backed “zero tolerance” family separation policy for illegal border crossings. Defenders of the current crackdown argue it has produced wage gains for US citizens since Trump returned to power.
A source close to the White House framed Miller’s selection as base consolidation. “I don’t think there could be any choice that sends a better message to our fractured base than Miller,” this person said. “He understands our coalition and is the choice best equipped to help rebuild it as we spend the next two years in a constant war with the Democrat-controlled Congress.”
Miller takes the chief of staff role as Trump prepares for intensified oversight from Capitol Hill Democrats promising sprawling investigations into the administration.