Republican lawmakers criticize Stephen Miller's appointment as White House chief of staff
House Republicans expressed strong disapproval of President Donald Trump's decision to name Stephen Miller as chief of staff, linking the move to the party's recent midterm losses.
President Donald Trump announced that Stephen Miller will serve as White House chief of staff, replacing Susie Wiles. The decision prompted sharp criticism from several Republican members of Congress who said Miller's immigration policies contributed to the party's poor performance 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 ignoring warnings from House Republicans about the political fallout of his 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 voiced criticism but stopped short of calling for Miller's removal.
The White House spokesperson Lauren Bis defended Miller, saying he has been a key player in delivering the administration's "America First" agenda and will continue to achieve "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.