How Could Stephen Miller Influence the White House as Chief of Staff?

Stephen Miller replaced Susie Wiles as White House Chief of Staff on Monday, and outlets across the spectrum have commented on how he may affect the administration from his new post.

'Doubling Down' on MAGA: Commentary published by both CNN (Lean Left bias) and National Review Opinion (Right) both insisted that President Trump's decision shows he is doubling down on "MAGA" and "Trumpism." CNN framed its coverage largely around Miller's strict approach to immigration policy and wrote, "Choosing a MAGA loyalist considered one of the most powerful hardline voices in his inner circle signaled a plan to flex even greater executive authority." Mark Antonio Wright of National Review established that Trump likes to "do things his own way" and said Miller doubling down on "Trumpism… may or may not bring the Trump administration wins on policy." He added, "But just don't expect the Trump administration's actions under Miller's influence to suddenly become politically popular. The track record, in fact, points to the opposite as the most likely outcome." BBC News (Center) offered a similar framing, and also wrote, "It is difficult to overstate how disliked Miller is by most Democrats – and some Republicans." BBC argued this sets Miller up for clashes with Congress, which is set to be controlled by Democrats after last week's midterm elections.

'Pro-Israel': Mainstream American outlets generally did not mention Miller's views on Israel, but mainstream Israeli outlets highlighted them in headlines. Haaretz (Lean Left) described Miller as a "staunch supporter of Israel" in its opening line and said his family "was deeply involved" with Los Angeles' "Jewish establishment" and "donated to institutions like Israel's Weizmann Institute." It also noted that his "Jewish wedding was officiated by Aryeh Lightstone," who helped negotiate the Abraham Accords and is on Trump's Gaza Board of Peace.

The Jerusalem Post (Center), like American outlets, also focused on his immigration views, but included ample context on Miller's Jewish background. Jerusalem Post said the Republican Jewish Coalition considers Miller "one of Trump's most important allies" and noted that its founder congratulated him on his new appointment. The publication also noted a "particularly noteworthy" report from The New York Times (Lean Left) that said Miller pitched himself to Trump as a good candidate for Chief of Staff because he said the Iran war needs to be wound down. Jerusalem Post wrote, "The report does not necessarily indicate a change in Miller's fundamental position on the use of military force. It does, however, illustrate how closely he monitors the sentiments of the MAGA movement and the political dangers facing Trump."

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