The president has many advisors and speechwriters, but few have had as much influence as Stephen Miller. He played a key role in writing Donald Trump’s 2017 inaugural address and held several significant positions in the Trump administration, including being the architect of Trump’s travel ban during his first term. By the second term, Miller had moved from speechwriting to serving as the U.S. Homeland Security Advisor. But that raises the question: Who is Stephen Miller?
Miller was born in Santa Monica, CA, to Michael and Miriam Miller. As the middle child, he grew up in a relatively liberal area but claims that he became a committed conservative after reading “Guns, Crime, and Freedom” by Wayne LaPierre, the leader of the National Rifle Association. The book argued against gun control, shaping Miller’s worldview and sparking his early political opinions. He became outspoken in high school, appearing on conservative talk radio and writing a letter to his school newspaper in 2002, claiming that “Osama bin Laden would feel very welcome at Santa Monica High School.” His antagonistic streak continued as he harassed Latino classmates and invited conservative activists to speak at both his high school and later, his college who were unwelcome by the student body.
Miller attended Duke University, where he earned a degree in political science and continued his conservative activism by writing for the school newspaper and advocating for “academic freedom.” During his time at Duke, he befriended Richard Spencer, who would later become a prominent neo-Nazi and a key figure in the 2017 Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, NC. Spencer later claimed to have mentored Miller, though Miller denies any association.
After graduating, Miller worked for senators affiliated with the Tea Party movement, a political faction that emerged in 2007 in opposition to government overreach. He moved between different politicians before eventually joining Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign. There, he played a role in every major speech Trump gave on the campaign trail and worked closely with Steve Bannon, co-founder of Breitbart News, a conservative clickbait website.
Bannon, Miller and then-Senator Jeff Sessions were the key figures behind Trump’s immigration crackdown. They were responsible for drafting the executive order that Trump signed into law, implementing the infamous travel ban. Although the policy was later repealed, Miller continued to wield influence. He was involved in firing FBI Director James Comey, tightening asylum policies, cutting funding for sanctuary cities, and suppressing reports on the positive economic effects of immigration.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Miller pushed for the Department of Homeland Security to completely seal the U.S.-Mexico border—a plan that would have required deploying more than half of the U.S. military. The proposal was ultimately abandoned.
Following Trump’s loss in the 2020 election, Miller was part of the effort to send alternate electors to Congress on Jan. 6, a scheme that later led to his subpoena. He also wrote Trump’s speech for that day. When the plan to overturn the election failed, Miller launched America First Legal Foundation, a conservative legal organization that has been linked to Project 2025, a far-right agenda aimed at reshaping the U.S. government. He has continued to push for stricter border policies and increased government control over immigration.
Currently, Miller remains focused on immigration while also working to influence social media companies like Meta to be more favorable toward Trump. This has led to a close relationship with Elon Musk. Miller is also involved in the “flood the zone” strategy—a term coined by Bannon—which involves overwhelming the media with constant controversies to distract and exhaust the public.
