A hawk known for his ultra-conservative positions, Miller hit the headlines during the president's first term for the controversial Muslim ban, while in Trump 2.0 he made a name for himself for his tough crackdown on crime. He is always behind the administration's 'imperialist' ideology according to which the United States can, at will, overthrow governments and appropriate resources as long as it is in the national interest.
USA GOVERNMENT - ©Ansa
His methods of communication - rough, aggressive - and his rhetoric made him the face of the most extreme Maga movement. Alongside Trump in the last 10 years of his political career, Miller was at the center of the president's strategy to take back the White House in 2024. It was his idea to link immigration to the fight against crime that brought Trump back to the presidency. Just as he was the most famous and shocking phrase of the tycoon's first inauguration speech: Miller is in fact the author of that "American carnage" that Trump denounced on the day of his swearing-in.
A graduate of Duke University, where he edited a conservative-leaning student newspaper, Miller spearheaded the strategy of using presidential executive orders, a tactic widely employed by Trump. He did not hesitate to invoke laws promulgated decades, or even centuries ago — dating back to the 19th century — to justify measures ranging from raids against irregular immigration to the imposition of duties. According to the Wall Street Journal, it was Miller who directed the federal immigration agency (ICE) to increase the number of arrests and deportations this year. Those directives led to anti-illegal immigration operations at a Home Depot store in Los Angeles last year that sparked clashes between protesters and federal agents, as well as Trump's decision to deploy thousands of troops.
Miller, who grew up in Santa Monica, California, did not hesitate to take to social media to respond to Democrats who accused Trump of authoritarianism: "We've been saying for years that this is a fight to save civilization. Anyone with eyes can see it," he said. In January this year, further incidents - including the wounding of two people by Ice agents in Minneapolis - reignited criticism, yet Miller continued to push for even more arrests. When Congress was debating a major legislative package mid-last year — during Trump's second term — Miller noted, “We will be debating these issues in the ruins of Western civilization if we fail to get immigration under control.”
Miller has largely managed to steer clear of the chaotic internal conflicts that characterized the White House during Trump's first term. An advisor who loves being in the spotlight, he remained loyal and at his boss's side, even when the Republican mogul's first administration culminated in the storming of the US Capitol on January 6, 2021. In the second Trump administration, Miller's ideas became part of the mainstream political debate. “I call Stephen 'Trump's brain,'” former Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy told the New York Times shortly before taking office in January. Miller was a prime mover in, among other things, using a little-known 200-year-old law of war to expel undocumented migrants. On May 9, he further shocked the opposition by saying the White House was “considering” suspending habeas corpus for migrants scheduled for deportation.
The change with Wiles will take place on November 9th, when Wiles will take a step back and take on a position in the political machine of the president, whose mandate expires in 2028 and who cannot run again. "Today is my last day in the White House as chief of staff. My commitment to that will never change," Wiles said shortly after the president's announcement about Truth. Nicknamed 'Ice Baby', Wiles has long been considered the guru behind Trump's successful return to the White House, but in recent months her position has begun to falter. After the vote, many Republicans called for his head. Among these Steve Bannon: "It must be removed immediately."
2302281012 - ©Getty
