DISCLAIMER: This article was first published on February 19, 2025
Stephen Miller, the White House advisor and speechwriter, was one of the few Trump advisers who made it through Trump’s entire first presidency without leaving or falling out with Trump while also returning for Trump’s second term. Primarily known in Trump’s first term as a speechwriter, Miller returned to the White House in January as the White House deputy chief of staff for policy and the United States homeland security advisor.
Miller spent some time while Trump was out of office as a Fox News contributor, but he’s not quite a natural on TV. And he showed that again this week when he appeared on CNN and got into a shouting match with anchor Brianna Keilar.
While Miller is most often associated with immigration, the segment focused on DOGE and the recent mass firings of government workers. Keilar asked Miller about the White House’s earlier claim that Elon Musk is officially not part of DOGE.
The Trump admin, in court filings, says Elon Musk is not an employee nor the administrator of DOGE. But does he know that? And who’s making the call to fire federal workers?
My interview w/ WH Dep Chief of Staff Stephen Miller – part 1/2: pic.twitter.com/YX6FmcfN7s
— Brianna Keilar (@brikeilarcnn) February 18, 2025
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When Keilar asked Miller if the administration understands “who is in the federal workforce,” and later followed up by mentioning that a large percentage of government workers are military veterans.
“I realize that even a brief interruption in federal employment is a great crisis for you and for CNN,” Miller told Keilar. “What the American people see is a government that is finally delivering on the promise of accountability under President Trump.”
Miller then angrily asked why Keilar and CNN are not “celebrating” these cuts.
“If you agree there is waste, if you agree there is abuse, if you agree there is corruption, why are you not celebrating the cuts, the reforms that are being instituted!? Every day that no action is taken the entire-”
At that point, the CNN anchor told Miller to “calm down.”
“Well, you are clearly trying to debate me, and I will be as excited as I want to be about the fact that we are saving Americans billions of dollars,” Miller said.
“Stephen actually enjoys seeing those pictures at the border. He’s a twisted guy, the way he was raised and picked on. There’s always been a way he’s gone about this. He’s Waffen-SS.” https://t.co/Yub9qzc3U0
— Mando Lines (@Mando_lines) November 13, 2019
Featured image via screengrab
