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 influential role in the Trump administration. He served as a senior advisor for policy, White House director of speechwriting, and later as a key architect of Trump's immigration policies. Often described as far-right and anti-immigration, Miller's policies and rhetoric have been controversial. Since 2025, he is the 12th United States homeland security advisor and White House deputy chief of staff for policy.

Sections (3)

Full Timeline Career & Achievements Controversies & Scandals

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: Controversial Meeting Attended

On August 3, 2016, Stephen Miller reportedly attended a controversial meeting which included George Nader, Wikistrat CEO Joel Zamel, Erik Prince, and Donald Trump Jr.

2016: Spencer Claims Mentorship

In 2016, Richard Spencer claimed that he had mentored Stephen Miller at Duke University.

February 2017: Criticized federal courts on Face the Nation

In February 2017, Stephen Miller criticized the federal courts for blocking Trump's travel ban on CBS' "Face the Nation", accusing the judiciary of overreach. He also falsely claimed significant voter fraud in the 2016 presidential election.

May 2017: Role in Comey's Firing

In May 2017, Stephen Miller played an influential role in Trump's decision to fire FBI director James Comey.

August 2, 2017: Heated exchange with CNN's Jim Acosta

On August 2, 2017, Stephen Miller engaged in a heated exchange with CNN's Jim Acosta at a White House briefing regarding the Trump administration's support for the RAISE Act. The debate centered on the connection between the Statue of Liberty and immigration, with Miller disputing Acosta's interpretation of the statue's welcoming message.

September 2017: Stops Publication of Positive Refugee Study

In September 2017, The New York Times reported that Stephen Miller stopped the Trump administration from showing the public an internal study by the Department of Health and Human Services that found that refugees had a net positive effect on government revenues.

September 2017: DACA Rescission

In September 2017, the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) policy was rescinded.

November 2017: Interviewed by Robert Mueller

In November 2017, Stephen Miller was interviewed by special counsel Robert Mueller in relation to his role in Comey's dismissal.

November 2017: Contact with George Papadopoulos

In November 2017, The New York Times reported that Stephen Miller was in regular contact with George Papadopoulos during the campaign about his discussions with Russian government officials.

January 7, 2018: Contentious interview on CNN's State of the Union

On January 7, 2018, Stephen Miller appeared on Jake Tapper's "State of the Union" on CNN, calling Steve Bannon's comments "grotesque" and praising Trump as a "political genius". The interview became contentious, with Tapper ending it early. Miller refused to leave the CNN studio after the interview.

May 2018: Reported Attendance at Meeting

In May 2018, it was reported that Stephen Miller had attended a controversial meeting which included George Nader on behalf of two Arab princes, Wikistrat CEO Joel Zamel, Erik Prince, and Donald Trump Jr., on August 3, 2016.

July 2018: Firing of Jennifer Arangio

In July 2018, senior White House official Jennifer Arangio was fired after she reportedly advocated that the United States remain in the Global Compact for Migration and defended the State Department's refugee bureau when Miller sought to defund it.

August 13, 2018: Uncle's Essay Published

On August 13, 2018, Politico published an essay by Stephen Miller's uncle, Dr. David S. Glosser, titled "Stephen Miller Is an Immigration Hypocrite. I Know Because I'm His Uncle", detailing the Glosser family's history.

October 2018: Proposed student visa ban for Chinese nationals

In October 2018, Stephen Miller proposed stopping the provision of student visas to Chinese nationals to reduce Chinese espionage and hurt elite universities critical of Trump. This proposal gained support from Peter Navarro but faced opposition from Terry Branstad, who argued it would harm U.S. trade with China.

April 7, 2019: Role in Kirstjen Nielsen's resignation

On April 7, 2019, Stephen Miller played a central role in the resignation of Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen due to her opposition to Miller's plan for mass arrests of undocumented immigrant families. Miller was also leaking information to the Washington Examiner to publish anti-immigration stories criticizing Nielsen.

November 2019: Emails Leaked

In November 2019, Stephen Miller's emails were leaked, revealing that he had promoted articles from white nationalist publications VDARE and American Renaissance, and had espoused conspiracy theories.

November 2019: Ilhan Omar calls Miller a white nationalist

In November 2019, following an exposé by the Southern Poverty Law Center, Representative Ilhan Omar reshared an April tweet calling Stephen Miller a white nationalist, adding that "now we have the emails to prove it".

2019: Attempt to use public health powers for border restrictions

In 2019, Stephen Miller tried to use public health powers to implement long-term border restrictions, as revealed in leaked emails.

2020: Advised against mask-wearing during COVID-19 pandemic

In 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Stephen Miller advised Trump not to openly embrace mask-wearing to halt the spread of the coronavirus.

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 special focus on the January 6 United States Capitol attack.

October 7, 2024: Speech at Trump campaign rally

On October 7, 2024, Stephen Miller gave a speech at a Donald Trump campaign rally in Madison Square Garden, stating "America is for Americans and Americans only".