Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., told CNN he wants President Trump to remove longtime aide Stephen Miller, labeling him an “embarrassment” and a “big problem” for the administration.
Comments on State of the Union
Tillis made the remarks Sunday on CNN’s “State of the Union,” marking a notable escalation from a senator long skeptical of a tougher immigration posture. He is not running for reelection and tied his criticism to last week’s high-profile firing of Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, suggesting Miller should be next.
“It gives me pause that you have people like Stephen Miller calling the shots,” Tillis told host Jake Tapper, citing past incidents he says reflect poor judgment.
Specific complaints
Tillis cited examples he says show Miller speaking first and thinking later: “It was Stephen Miller that was talking about a terrorist brandishing a gun. It was Stephen Miller who said it was the position of the United States that we should go after Greenland.”
Pressed on whether Miller should be fired, Tillis replied, “Oh, of course I do.”
Influence inside the administration
He argued Miller’s role reaches beyond messaging into day-to-day operations, saying Cabinet officials are being boxed in by the White House deputy chief of staff. “He’s not worried about substance. He’s more worried about form,” Tillis said, adding that Miller has an “outsized influence over the operations of the Cabinet.”
How Republicans responded
The remarks put Tillis at odds with much of the GOP base, where Miller is viewed as the architect of aggressive border and deportation policies and a loyal enforcer of Trump priorities. Tillis has criticized Miller before and was an early Republican voice calling for Noem to step aside.
Inside Republican circles, Tillis’ broadside is being read less as a policy dispute and more as a political parting shot from a senator on his way out the door.
Senate allies defend Miller
A White House official noted recent public defenses of Miller by prominent Senate Republicans. Sen. Lindsey Graham led more than a dozen GOP colleagues in backing Miller’s role in the administration.
Graham said, “People can disagree with Stephen on rhetoric, and they can disagree with him on policy, but the question is, ‘Is Stephen Miller in jeopardy in Trump World?’ Absolutely not.”
Other Republicans framed Miller’s work as central to delivering on priorities important to voters, from border enforcement to public safety. “Because of him and other members of the president’s team, critical priorities like stopping deadly fentanyl, unleashing America’s energy, and bringing much-needed economic relief for working families are now a reality for Pennsylvania,” Sen. Dave McCormick said.
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