Stephen Miller's Chief of Staff Promotion Draws Sharp Backlash, Including From Republicans

A day after President Donald Trump named Stephen Miller his next White House chief of staff, the reaction has split sharply, and not only along party lines. Democrats condemned the pick within hours. Several Republicans also criticized it, most bluntly North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis, who called it “a colossal mistake.” Miller’s supporters in the MAGA movement welcomed it.

Miller, 41, takes over from Susie Wiles on Monday, Nov. 9. Trump announced the move Friday on Truth Social, days after Republicans lost control of both chambers of Congress in the midterm elections.

What did Thom Tillis say about Stephen Miller?

Speaking with CNN’s Jake Tapper on Friday, Tillis called Miller “the worst of all possible choices,” according to Mediaite. He argued that Republicans lost Tuesday partly because they “lost the narrative on the border,” and that they lost Hispanic voters “in large part because of the mismanagement of that policy, and Homeland Security policy,” areas he tied directly to Miller.

Tillis questioned how “somebody as divisive” as Miller could be “the olive branch we need to the new Democratic majorities in Congress to get things done.” He added that “the president needs to rethink it.” He also warned that the administration would face “a very different world starting in January” without a friendly Congress.

Which other Republicans pushed back?

The Independent reported that Indiana Rep. Marlin Stutzman called the appointment “a horrible decision,” citing Semafor. Outgoing Nebraska Rep. Don Bacon told CNN it was “not a good choice.”

“He’ll have an antagonistic relationship with many,” Bacon said. “He cost us seats in Texas and Arizona by alienating many Hispanic voters who voted for Trump in 2024.”

Not all Republicans objected. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. praised Miller, saying, “Next to me, Stephen Miller is the strongest MAHA supporter in the administration,” the Independent reported. Conservative commentators were enthusiastic, and Daily Wire editor-in-chief Brent Scher called him “a wartime chief of staff.”

How did Democrats respond?

Democratic leaders attacked the choice right away. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries called Miller “a dangerous xenophobe and reckless extremist.” Washington Rep. Pramila Jayapal said Trump “learned absolutely nothing” from the election results. California Rep. Robert Garcia, the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, said Miller “should lawyer up” and promised investigations.

Those comments matter more than usual because Democrats will control both chambers starting in January. That gives them subpoena power and control of committee agendas for the final two years of Trump’s term.

Why is this appointment drawing so much attention?

Miller is one of Trump’s longest-serving and most polarizing aides. CBS News describes him as the architect of the president’s immigration enforcement and deportation program. The Guardian calls him Trump’s “most controversial aide.” Critics in both parties have linked that agenda to the GOP’s midterm losses. Trump sees it differently. He told reporters Miller is “very good politically” and a “great manager,” CBS reported.

The timing has also drawn notice. According to CBS News, Wiles had planned to stay through Congress’ lame-duck session and leave around the end of the year or early next year, but the president sped up her departure. CBS reported that she submitted her resignation Thursday night and that, according to three sources, the resignation was tied to the midterm defeats.

What happens to Susie Wiles and her team?

Trump said Wiles, the first woman to serve as White House chief of staff, will move to the Trump Political Operation. In a short statement, she said Friday was her last day and called the job “the honor of a lifetime,” the Independent reported.

It is still unclear whether her deputies will stay. CBS News said that remained an open question Friday night. Nothing official has been announced about wider staff changes.

What to watch next

Key questions include whether more GOP lawmakers join Tillis in asking Trump to reconsider, whether senior White House staff leave along with Wiles, and how Miller handles a Congress that is now led by his loudest critics.

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Earlier coverage: Trump Names Stephen Miller White House Chief of Staff, Replacing Susie Wiles (Nov 6)