Major Controversies Surrounding Stephen Miller (political advisor): A Detailed Timeline
Controversies are a part of history. Explore the biggest scandals linked to Stephen Miller (political advisor).
Stephen Miller is an American political advisor known for his role in the Trump administration. He served as a senior advisor for policy, White House director of speechwriting, and later as White House deputy chief of staff for policy and United States homeland security advisor. His political views are often described as far-right and anti-immigration, and he played a key role in developing and implementing controversial immigration policies during Trump's presidency. He's a controversial figure known for his nationalist views.
2015: Emails to Breitbart News writer Katie McHugh
Between 2015 and 2016, Stephen Miller sent over 900 emails to Breitbart News writer Katie McHugh, pushing the views of white nationalist publications, which became the basis for an exposé by the Southern Poverty Law Center.
February 8, 2016: Interview with InfoWars
On February 8, 2016, Stephen Miller participated in an interview with InfoWars, praising the site and its owner, Alex Jones, for its coverage of immigration and the Trans-Pacific Partnership.
August 3, 2016: Attends Controversial Meeting
On August 3, 2016, Stephen Miller attended a controversial meeting with George Nader, Joel Zamel, Erik Prince, and Donald Trump Jr.
2016: Emails to Breitbart News writer Katie McHugh
Between 2015 and 2016, Stephen Miller sent over 900 emails to Breitbart News writer Katie McHugh, pushing the views of white nationalist publications, which became the basis for an exposé by the Southern Poverty Law Center.
2016: Richard Spencer Claims Mentorship Role
In 2016, Richard Spencer claimed he mentored Stephen Miller at Duke, a claim Miller has since refuted.
2016: Falsely claimed significant voter fraud occurred in presidential election
In February 2017, on CBS' Face the Nation, Stephen Miller falsely claimed significant voter fraud occurred in the 2016 presidential election.
February 2017: Intolerance Allegations
In February 2017, John Burness, Duke University's former senior vice president, characterized Miller as "incredibly intolerant" during his time at Duke.
February 2017: Criticized Federal Courts
In February 2017, on CBS' Face the Nation, Stephen Miller criticized the federal courts for blocking Trump's travel ban. He falsely claimed significant voter fraud occurred in the 2016 presidential election.
May 2017: Influence in Firing James Comey
In May 2017, Stephen Miller played an influential role in Trump's decision to fire FBI director James Comey, drafting a letter that contributed to Comey's dismissal.
August 2, 2017: Heated Exchange with Jim Acosta
On August 2, 2017, Stephen Miller had a heated exchange with CNN's Jim Acosta regarding the Trump administration's support for the RAISE Act and its connection to American immigration traditions. Miller disputed the connection between the Statue of Liberty and immigration.
September 2017: Suppression of Positive Refugee Study
In September 2017, Stephen Miller prevented the Trump administration from publicizing an internal study showing that refugees had a net positive effect on government revenues.
September 2017: Rescission of DACA policy
In September 2017, the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals policy was rescinded, preceding Trump's demand to Congress in October.
November 2017: Interviewed by Robert Mueller
In November 2017, Stephen Miller was interviewed by special counsel Robert Mueller regarding his role in the dismissal of James Comey.
November 2017: Regular Contact with George Papadopoulos
In November 2017, it was reported that Stephen Miller was in regular contact with George Papadopoulos during the 2016 campaign about discussions with Russian government officials.
January 7, 2018: Contentious Interview on CNN
On January 7, 2018, Stephen Miller appeared on CNN's State of the Union, calling Steve Bannon's comments about the Trump Tower meeting "grotesque". The interview became contentious, and Miller was escorted out by security after refusing to leave the studio.
May 2018: Reported Attendance at Controversial Meeting
In May 2018, it was reported that Stephen Miller had attended a controversial meeting on August 3, 2016, that involved George Nader, Joel Zamel, Erik Prince, and Donald Trump Jr.
July 2018: Firing of Jennifer Arangio
In July 2018, senior White House official Jennifer Arangio was fired after she disagreed with Stephen Miller on refugee policies and the Global Compact for Migration.
August 13, 2018: Uncle's Essay Published
On August 13, 2018, Politico published an essay by Stephen Miller's uncle, Dr. David S. Glosser, criticizing his immigration policies as hypocritical given the family's immigrant history.
October 2018: Proposed Ban on Student Visas for Chinese Nationals
In October 2018, Stephen Miller proposed stopping student visas to Chinese nationals to reduce espionage and hurt universities critical of Trump, sparking opposition within the administration.
2018: Influential Role in Trump's Messaging
In 2018, Stephen Miller played an influential role in President Trump's messaging, which focused on immigration fears during the midterm elections. The party lost 40 House seats, partly due to Miller's focus on "white identity politics".
January 2019: Reduced Immigrant Protections
In January 2019, Stephen Miller reportedly reduced the number of immigrants who would receive protections as part of a proposed offer by Trump to grant protections for some immigrants in exchange for congressional support for funds to construct a border wall.
April 7, 2019: Involvement in Kirstjen Nielsen's Resignation
On April 7, 2019, Stephen Miller reportedly played a central role in the resignation of Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen. This was part of a larger department overhaul aimed at steering the Trump administration towards a tougher approach on immigration, after Nielsen opposed a plan Miller supported to carry out mass arrests of undocumented immigrant families.
April 2019: Role in Kirstjen Nielsen's Resignation
In April 2019, Stephen Miller reportedly played a central role in the resignation of Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen due to his belief that she wasn't hawkish enough on immigration.
November 2019: Ilhan Omar's White Nationalist Accusation Resurfaces
In November 2019, following an exposé by the Southern Poverty Law Center, Representative Ilhan Omar reshared her April tweet calling Stephen Miller a white nationalist, adding that "now we have the emails to prove it".
November 2019: Leaked Emails Reveal Promotion of White Nationalist Content
In November 2019, leaked emails showed Stephen Miller promoted articles from white nationalist publications and espoused conspiracy theories, adding to controversies surrounding him.
November 2019: Southern Poverty Law Center's Exposé
In November 2019, the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) published an exposé on Stephen Miller's emails to Breitbart News, revealing his promotion of white nationalist views. Over 80 Democratic members of Congress called for his resignation.
2019: Attempt to use Public Health Powers for Border Restrictions
In 2019, emails showed that Stephen Miller had tried to use public health powers to implement border restrictions.
July 2020: Added to SPLC's List of Extremists
In July 2020, Stephen Miller was added to the Southern Poverty Law Center's list of extremists.
2020: Prepared Remarks for January 6 Rally
In 2020, Stephen Miller prepared the remarks that Trump delivered at the January 6 rally, where Trump supported his false claim that the 2020 election had been stolen. Attendees subsequently stormed the U.S. Capitol.
2020: Leaked Conversations on Border Restrictions
In 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, leaked conversations revealed that Stephen Miller wanted to extend temporary border restrictions to limit immigration long-term. He also advised Trump against openly embracing mask-wearing.
2020: Request to Seal U.S.-Mexico Border with Troops
In the spring of 2020, Stephen Miller requested the Department of Homeland Security develop a plan to use American troops to seal the entire U.S. border with Mexico. The plan, requiring 250,000 troops, was opposed by Defense Secretary Mark Esper and eventually abandoned.
January 6, 2021: Plan to Send Alternate Electors to Congress
On January 6, 2021, after Trump lost the 2020 election, Stephen Miller described on television a plan to send "alternate" slates of electors to Congress, which could have been introduced as challenges to the true results when Congress counted the electoral votes.
March 2021: American Oversight published the documents
In March 2021, the watchdog group American Oversight published the documents regarding the plan to send "alternate" slates of electors to Congress, but they received little attention.
January 2022: Investigation by January 6 Committee
In January 2022, it was reported that the January 6 committee was investigating the "alternate" slates of electors. Michigan attorney general Dana Nessel asked the U.S. Justice Department to open a criminal investigation.
September 8, 2022: Subpoenaed by Federal Grand Jury
On September 8, 2022, Stephen Miller was subpoenaed by a federal grand jury investigating attempts to overturn the 2020 United States presidential election, with a focus on the January 6 United States Capitol attack.
2022: Alleged Suggestion of War Crime
In 2022, following the United States' assassination of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, Stephen Miller allegedly suggested "dipping [al-Baghdadi's head] in pig's blood and parading it around to warn other terrorists", according to former defense secretary Mark Esper. Miller denied that this took place.
