Stephen Miller’s power in Washington, D.C., comes from being a “ferocious micromanager” who will go to any level to get what he wants, according to a former Trump administration official who worked with the new White House chief of staff.
Miles Taylor, an ex-Homeland Security official who has spoken and written about being part of the “quiet resistance” within President Donald Trump’s government during his first term in office, told “The News Agents” podcast that Miller never hesitated to invite himself into the most granular parts of the bureaucracy or call subordinates at all hours of the day to make sure the administration’s agenda was carried out as intended.
Explaining how Miller had his “tentacles” in every part of the government, no matter how niche, Taylor said, “That’s something that made Stephen very formidable and very effective, is that he understands the government bureaucracy, and he is willing to jump down into meetings where they would never expect him.”
“Think about the most junior staff at the most remote office in government,” he said. “Stephen was the type of person that would surprise them on their morning phone call and show up and say, ‘This is Stephen Miller at the White House.’”
Miller didn’t limit his requests to business hours either, according to Taylor.
“It sounds like if you’re in the job that I was in, [there are] late-night phone calls every single weeknight to the point that your spouse starts asking you questions,” the former aide added.
Miller was promoted to White House chief of staff last week, replacing GOP veteran Susie Wiles in the wake of Republicans’ midterm election walloping.
An anti-immigration hardliner and zealous anti-communist, he’s backed Trump’s push to end birthright citizenship, help target universities accused of fostering antisemitism on campus and disregarding a Supreme Court ruling barring affirmative action, and warned of a “vast domestic terror movement” made of left-wing organizations lurking inside the U.S.