Pressure is growing on White House senior adviser Stephen Miller following the killing of intensive care nurse Alex Pretti by border patrol agents in Minneapolis and the politically divisive aftermath. Miller, the architect of Donald Trump's hardline immigration policy, has found himself in the rare position of being contradicted and excluded from crucial decisions by the president.
Hours after the incident on Saturday, Miller described Pretti, 37, as a 'would-be assassin' on social media. However, when asked on Tuesday if he believed Pretti was an assassin, Trump said: 'No.' The president held a two-hour meeting with Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem on Monday evening, from which Miller was conspicuously absent.
Axios reported, citing unnamed sources, that Miller was responsible for the Department of Homeland Security's baseless claim that Pretti intended to 'massacre' officers. But on Tuesday, Miller admitted to CNN that the border patrol agents 'may not have been following' proper protocol before the fatal shooting – a rare reversal for a man known for reinforcing his positions.
Multiple phone videos by witnesses exposed the false narrative, prompting outcry and forcing Trump into a partial climbdown. He pulled border patrol commander Greg Bovino out of Minneapolis and sent border czar Tom Homan to 'recalibrate tactics'. The president also held cordial calls with Minnesota's governor and Minneapolis mayor.
Experts say Miller, who has been likened to Trump's prime minister, is unlikely to be fired. 'Stephen Miller is the architect,' said Larry Jacobs of the University of Minnesota. 'The recklessness, the brutality, the lack of legal process – all of that has its roots with Stephen Miller.' However, this misstep may see him take a back seat temporarily.
