Pressure Intensifies for Trump Adviser Stephen Miller Following Minneapolis Border Patrol Tragedy
Senior White House adviser Stephen Miller, the architect of Donald Trump's hardline immigration agenda, finds himself under mounting pressure and increasingly isolated within the administration following the fatal shooting of intensive care nurse Alex Pretti by border patrol agents in Minneapolis.
Contradiction and Exclusion from Oval Office Discussions
Miller occupies an unusual position of being publicly contradicted and excluded from crucial decision-making processes by President Trump himself. Approximately three and a half hours after the Saturday tragedy, Miller took to social media to label Pretti, a 37-year-old nurse, as a "would-be assassin" who "tried to murder federal agents." However, when questioned directly on Tuesday about whether he believed Pretti was an assassin, President Trump offered a simple, definitive response: "No."
The president's distancing became more evident during a significant two-hour Oval Office meeting held on Monday evening with Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, convened at her request. Notably, Miller was conspicuously absent from these discussions, signalling a potential shift in his influence over border security matters.
Miller's Role in the Administration's Initial Narrative
According to a report from Axios citing four anonymous sources, Miller was directly responsible for the Department of Homeland Security's initial, baseless claim that Pretti intended to "massacre" officers. This narrative was subsequently echoed by Secretary Noem. One source revealed, "Stephen heard 'gun' and knew what the narrative would be: Pretti came to 'massacre' cops."
In a rare reversal for an official known for doubling down on his positions, Miller admitted to CNN on Tuesday that the border patrol agents "may not have been following" proper protocol prior to the fatal shooting. This concession came after multiple witness videos exposed flaws in the administration's initial account, sparking widespread public outrage that crossed political lines and included business leaders and some Republicans.
Administration Response and Political Repercussions
The public outcry forced President Trump into a partial retreat on Monday. His response included pulling border patrol commander Greg Bovino out of Minneapolis and deploying border czar Tom Homan, who has previously been critical of Miller's methods, to "recalibrate tactics" and enhance cooperation with state and local authorities. The president also engaged in cordial telephone conversations with Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey.
These developments cast doubt on Secretary Noem's future, with over 160 House Democrats supporting an impeachment effort against her. When pressed on Tuesday about whether Noem would resign, Trump defended her, stating, "I think she's doing a very good job. The border is totally secure."
Miller's Central Role and Lasting Influence
Despite the current controversy, many experts argue Miller remains too integral to Trump's political project to be permanently sidelined. Officially serving as White House deputy chief of staff, Miller has been described by some observers as functioning akin to Trump's prime minister, with significant influence that reportedly extends over cabinet-level officials like Noem.
Larry Jacobs, director of the Center for the Study of Politics and Governance at the University of Minnesota, identifies Miller as the principal architect behind aggressive immigration enforcement. "He's the guy who has been haranguing ICE to get tougher and deliver more numbers," Jacobs explained. "The recklessness, the brutality, the lack of legal process – all of that has its roots with Stephen Miller."
Jacobs interprets Miller's exclusion from the Oval Office meeting as a "strong message to Washington that the president does not approve of this process," but he does not anticipate Miller's dismissal, noting that Trump supports the underlying policy objectives, if not their execution in this instance.
Strategic Retreat but Enduring Power
Henry Olsen, a senior fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center, predicts Miller will assume a less public role in the immediate future. "It's clear that Trump personally does not like the PR aspect of what's been going on," Olsen observed, suggesting the president recognises that Miller and Noem's handling of the situation damaged their standing.
However, Olsen doubts Miller will become a sacrificial lamb. "Miller's been with him for quite some time. Trump has no problem getting rid of non-performing subordinates but one suspects that Miller in many ways is performing and he is not going to toss him over the side lightly."
Miller's value to Trump lies significantly in his media presence. He serves as a pugnacious television defender of the president, employing vivid rhetoric that frames Democrats as a "domestic extremist organisation" and champions a worldview "governed by strength, force, and power."
The Resilience of a Key Adviser
Rick Wilson, co-founder of the anti-Trump Lincoln Project and a veteran Republican strategist, asserts that Miller remains too deeply embedded in Trump's political calculus to be truly marginalised. "Stephen Miller is too dominant in Trump's mental schema about what the Maga base wants to truly be cut out of a loop," Wilson stated. "I don't think there's a world where Stephen Miller doesn't retain his authority and his power with Trump."
Wilson anticipates a temporary, strategic step back rather than a loss of power. "Strategically he may step back a half step, but this is not a world where Stephen Miller is going to give up power. He's worked too hard to get to where he is."
He concluded with a stark character assessment: "The problem with Stephen Miller is that evil is resilient. He doesn't feel any shame. He doesn't think that this is a bad thing. He's convinced that other people have embarrassed him but not that he's running a vast assault on the constitutional liberties of Americans."
