Republican Horror at Stephen Miller’s Promotion Leaks
Republicans had called for his ouster just before news broke of his new role.
Republican lawmakers are reeling after the shock appointment of anti-immigration hardliner Stephen Miller as Trump’s new chief of staff.
Speaking on Fox News, Representative Marlin Stutzman (Indiana) described the decision as “appalling,” while another Republican lawmaker—who requested anonymity—expressed “total disbelief” at the choice.
In an interview with CNN on Friday, Senator Thom Tillis (North Carolina) remarked that Miller was the “worst possible choice” for the position.
He added: “It is a colossal mistake, and the last thing we need 72 hours after the a–- whooping we got on Tuesday,”
Politico reported comments from a Republican member of the House of Representatives—who wished to remain anonymous—who, upon learning of Miller’s promotion, reacted by saying: “Tell me you’re joking, and that you’re only saying this to test my reaction.”
According to Fox News, several Republican lawmakers had called for Miller’s dismissal shortly before his appointment was announced; upon learning of his promotion, one of them responded by sending an emoji of a hand covering a face—a gesture signaling frustration or dismay.
In response, a White House spokesperson provided The Daily Beast with a list of seven Republican senators and 12 Republican representatives who had praised Miller’s appointment in posts on the platform X.
The spokesperson noted that Miller had previously worked with Democrats on the “DC Safe and Beautiful Task Force,” describing him as a “valuable and reliable collaborator” since 2016.
It is worth noting that opposition to strict immigration policies—in the development of which Miller played a key role—was a contributing factor to the Republicans’ defeat in the midterm elections. According to an ABC News poll, 60% of voters expressed dissatisfaction with how the immigration issue was being handled leading up to those elections.
This issue caused millions of Latino voters to turn away from the Republican Party and vote for the Democrats, effectively undoing the recent progress Republicans had made in gaining support from this community.
Furthermore, another Republican member of Congress told Fox News that Miller had ignored warnings about the growing public backlash against his immigration policies.
The lawmaker remarked: “I attended several meetings where my colleagues and I told him that his immigration enforcement policies were proving counterproductive in our districts. People are angry, and so are business owners—even in staunchly Republican strongholds. It’s not just the voters who are affected;” “This also concerns donors, and it affects everyone, at every level.” He added: “But it seemed to me that Stephen Miller was only interested in the numbers… and that he wasn’t willing to listen to us.”
Miller’s ability to work with Democrats in Congress poses another challenge for the White House; Democratic Party leaders have vowed to conduct thorough investigations into Miller and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) once they take office in January.
Against this backdrop, Representative Robert Garcia, a prominent member of the House Oversight Committee, stated on Friday: “Stephen Miller should get himself a lawyer.”
