Trump names immigration hardliner Stephen Miller as deputy director of policy | Donald Trump

President-elect Donald Trump is expected to announce that he will name immigration hardliner and close adviser Stephen Miller as his deputy chief of staff for policy at the White House.

Miller worked at the White House during Trump’s first term, where he served as Trump’s senior adviser and speechwriting director. He played a key role in developing several of Trump’s immigration policies, including the Muslim travel ban and family separation policies.

Although Trump has not yet officially announced the appointment, CNN reported the news earlier on Monday, citing two sources familiar with the matter, and later on Monday, Vice President-elect JD Vance appeared to confirm the report in a post on X, where He responded and congratulated Miller.

“This is another fantastic presidential choice. Congratulations @StephenM!” said Vance.

Miller had been expected to take on a larger role in Trump’s second term if the former president wins the 2024 election, helping him implement his plan to mass deport millions of undocumented migrants in the United States.

According to the Associated Press, Miller was a frequent presence during Trump’s 2024 campaign, often traveling with him and addressing Trump at his rallies.

Miller is also known for his extremist rhetoric. He spoke at Trump’s infamous rally at Madison Square Garden, where he told the crowd that “America is for Americans only” and promised to “give America back to the true Americans.”

In an interview with The New York Times last year, Miller also outlined plans to restrict legal and illegal immigration if Trump were re-elected. Plans included rounding up illegal immigrants in the U.S. and holding them in camps while they await deportation.

Over the years, reports have claimed that Miller advocated for blowing up migrants with drones during the Trump administration – which he has denied – and that he suggested sending 250,000 US troops to the southern border.

In 2019, after the U.S. strike killed Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, Mark Esper, the former defense secretary, claimed that Miller suggested beheading al-Baghdadi by dipping the head in pig’s blood and showed him around. to warn other terrorists.” Miller also denied this and called Esper an “idiot.”

That same year, Miller was found to have promoted white nationalist views in emails to right-wing journalists. This led to several Democrats calling on him to resign and more than 50 civil rights groups writing a letter to Trump urging him to fire Miller.

“Throughout his career, Stephen Miller has fomented bigotry, hatred and division with his extreme political rhetoric and policies,” the letter said. “The recent exposure of his deep-rooted racism is further evidence that he is unfit to serve and should leave his post immediately.”

After the end of the Trump presidency, Miller founded the nonprofit America First Legal Foundation, which he described as the right’s “long-awaited answer” to the American Civil Liberties Union.

According to the New York Times, the group has taken over 100 legal actions over the years against Democratic policies and what it sees as “woke companies” like Disney, Nike and others.

It was also reported last year that Miller’s legal group also held a seat on the board of Project 2025, the controversial policy initiative of the Heritage Foundation and other conservative groups to plan right-wing political agendas for a second Trump term.

Project 2025, a more than 900-page document, outlines plans and strategies for how Trump and his allies could overthrow the US government. Plans include cutting environmental protections, replacing officials with Trump loyalists, abolishing the Department of Education, restricting LGBTQ+ and reproductive rights, and more.

Miller reportedly testified in 2022 before the House special committee investigating the January 6 insurrection in the US capital. He was asked whether Trump had encouraged his supporters to march on the Capitol that day.

Miller reportedly defended Trump, explaining that his use of the word “we” in his remarks outside the Capitol that day was not an attempt to incite the crowd to storm the Capitol, but rather a rhetorical device that has been used in political speeches for decades was used.

In April of this year, Axios reported that Miller helped push a plan to combat alleged “anti-white racism” if Trump were re-elected.

The Axios report said that if Trump returns to the White House, Miller and other aides planned to “drastically change the administration’s interpretation of civil rights laws to focus on ‘anti-white racism’ rather than discrimination.” of people of color.”

Trump spokesman Steven Cheung told Axios: “As President Trump has said, all employees, offices and initiatives are connected to this [Joe] Biden’s un-American policies will end immediately.”

News of Miller’s expected appointment on Monday follows Trump’s announcement that former acting U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement director Tom Homan would be named “border czar.”

Miller will also work with Susie Wiles, whom Trump named as his chief of staff last week.