Trump Names Stephen Miller as Chief of Staff: A Tougher Stance on Immigration Ahead?

WASHINGTON: Known for his sharp suits, sunglasses and menacing air, Stephen Miller has long been one of US President Donald Trump's most loyal and combative consiglieres. Now Trump has named the architect of his immigration crackdown as his chief of staff -- the clearest possible signal that the gloves are off after the US midterms. Miller, 41, said Friday he was ready for battle. "The mission now is more clear than ever: Fight with all of our soul to support our President and defend this magnificent Republic," Miller said on X. His appointment fired up a MAGA movement stunned by the Republican hammering in the midterms. "IT'S MILLER TIME," former congressman Matt Gaetz said, quoting, like many other allies, a famous US beer commercial. Democrats were not so thrilled. "Stephen Miller is a dangerous xenophobe and reckless extremist who has American blood on his hands," incoming House Majority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said. Dubbed Trump's "brain," Miller has been the most ideological presence in the president's inner circle since he started working for him in 2016. Miller frequently echoes far-right talking points about Western civilization being under threat from an "invasion" of migrants -- and under Trump he has translated that into policy. It was Miller, whose official job title is currently deputy chief of staff for policy and homeland security advisor, who was behind the mass deportations in Trump's second term. Reports said Miller pushed Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to drastically step up their deportations after levels under Trump fell below those of the Biden administration. For Democrats, Stephen Miller is the symbol of the excesses of Trump's immigration policy, from the masked agents rounding up undocumented migrants, to the shootings by federal agents that left two Americans dead. His management style is reportedly equally hardline. In their book "Regime Change," New York Times journalists Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan said Miller was a domineering boss who regularly berated staff members.