Republican lawmakers blast Stephen Miller’s appointment as White House chief of staff
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House Republicans voiced rare public outrage over President Donald Trump’s decision to elevate Stephen Miller, saying his hardline immigration agenda helped drive the party’s midterm losses and deepen its political isolation.
President Donald Trump announced that Stephen Miller will serve as White House chief of staff, replacing Susie Wiles. The decision immediately drew fierce criticism from several Republican members of Congress, who argued that Miller’s extremist immigration policies helped drag the party down in the recent midterm elections.
"Horrible decision," Rep. Marlin Stutzman, R-Ind., told Fox News Digital.
"Because of his immigration positions, I just think we ruined a lot of our goodwill with Latino voters," Stutzman added.
An unnamed Republican lawmaker said the appointment was met with "utter disbelief" and described Miller as brushing aside repeated warnings from House Republicans about the political damage caused by his aggressive immigration enforcement strategy.
"I've been in several group meetings where a lot of us have told him, ‘Your immigration enforcement policies are backfiring back home, our people are mad, our businesses are mad — even in deep red districts — and it is impacting not just the voters, but the donors, and everybody top to bottom,’" the lawmaker said.
Retiring Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb., said Miller’s policies had "greatly hurt the administration and cost us many seats" in the election. Other GOP members also criticized the move, though they stopped short of openly demanding Miller’s removal.
The White House spokesperson Lauren Bis defended Miller, saying he has been a key player in advancing the administration's "America First" agenda and will continue to produce "historic successes for the American people" in his new role. Vice President JD Vance and Freedom Caucus Chairman Andy Harris also praised Miller's record on border security and crime reduction.
The appointment comes as Democrats are projected to control both chambers of Congress in the new term, with estimates of more than 250 House seats and at least 54 Senate seats for the party.