Stephen Miller, one of President Donald Trump’s most influential advisers, stepped before reporters outside the White House on October 6, projecting an air of urgency as the administration escalated its latest confrontation with a major American city.
Only hours earlier, a violent clash in Chicago had spiraled into national controversy after a federal officer opened fire on a local woman during a roadside altercation. Conflicting accounts poured in: federal officials accused Chicago police of abandoning agents in a hostile zone, while city authorities insisted their officers had responded immediately. Despite the confusion, Miller acted swiftly. According to two officials aware of the internal discussions, he delivered a direct command to the Pentagon: prepare for troop deployment.
Within minutes, Miller took to social media, branding the incident “domestic terrorism and seditious insurrection,” a phrase that sent shockwaves through the national security community. Inside the White House, Miller’s words triggered an emergency mobilization plan that would send National Guard troops into America’s third-largest city, setting off a constitutional and political firestorm.
The move immediately inflamed tensions between the Trump administration and Democratic leaders in Illinois and Chicago. It also marked a dramatic escalation in Trump’s broader offensive against Democratic-run urban centers, testing the outer limits of presidential power. And at the heart of it all was Stephen Miller—a senior adviser whose influence within Trump’s inner circle is now so vast that some aides quietly refer to him as “the prime minister.”
A Publicly Aggressive Role
Once known primarily for engineering Trump’s hardline immigration policies, the 40-year-old Miller has increasingly emerged as the architect of a sweeping campaign to assert federal power in cities like Chicago and Portland. For years, he wielded authority behind the scenes. Now, he is stepping into the spotlight—delivering fierce speeches, launching media offensives, and portraying critics as traitors standing in the way of “law and order.”
“The core battle in America today,” Miller declared this week, “is between legitimate government authority and violent mobs who want to replace it.”
In a series of confrontational TV appearances and online statements, Miller has pushed legal boundaries and political norms. He has described court rulings blocking federal troop movements as a “judicial rebellion” and argued that President Trump holds “plenary authority”—a phrase typically used to describe nearly unchecked executive power—to deploy the military inside U.S. borders.
Fueling a National Security Crisis Narrative
Miller has insisted that protesters, especially in Chicago and Portland, pose a direct and organized threat to federal agents. He has pointed to last week’s shooting of Marimar Martinez as proof of escalating danger—though her version of events sharply contradicts Homeland Security’s claims. Judges across the country have questioned the government’s descriptions of unrest, but Miller has pressed forward relentlessly.
If courts block Trump’s deployment plans, Miller has vowed to find alternate legal routes, including invoking the Insurrection Act, a rarely used law granting broad military authority within the United States.
“These people are trying to sabotage federal law,” Miller claimed in a CNN interview. “We will not allow it.”
A Strategy of Intimidation—and Expansion
Even some Republicans close to Trump have expressed concern over Miller’s aggressive tactics. Behind closed doors, advisers worry his rhetoric could alienate moderate voters. Yet Trump appears fully aligned with him. The president has begun to echo Miller’s messaging word for word, even calling for jail time for Illinois Governor JB Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson—after Miller accused them of aiding “domestic extremists.”
Inside the West Wing, Miller’s sway has continued to grow. As deputy chief of staff for policy and homeland security adviser, he controls a massive portfolio, touching everything from immigration raids and university investigations to urban policing initiatives and military operations.
He now sits at the center of domestic security planning, chairing strategy sessions with Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, Attorney General Pam Bondi, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and even Secretary of State Marco Rubio. One senior official admitted bluntly: “Nothing major moves without Miller.”
Critics Fear His Reach—But Few Dare Oppose Him
Some Republicans on Capitol Hill have tried to slow Miller’s most extreme proposals, but most lawmakers—even within his own party—avoid public criticism, fearing political retaliation. The nickname “prime minister” may have begun as a sarcastic jab among Trump allies, but it now reflects a reality: Stephen Miller has become one of the most powerful unelected figures in America.
As one adviser put it: “Even if Miller isn’t in the room, Trump won’t make a final decision until he hears what Stephen thinks.”
And with the National Guard now entering American cities at his urging, Miller is no longer just shaping policy—he is redefining the scope of presidential power.
