Stephen Miller Writes Trump's January 6 Ellipse Speech, Adds Language About Pence Overturning Election

Stephen Miller served as the primary author of President Trump’s January 6, 2021 Ellipse speech that directly preceded the Capitol insurrection, and personally added language claiming Vice President Mike Pence had the power to overturn the election results. Miller spoke with Trump for several minutes the morning of January 6 about the planned speech, then added “POTUS edits” that included explicit references to Pence having authority to reject electoral votes. White House lawyer Eric Herschmann objected to these additions and Miller initially removed the lines about Pence, but when Trump delivered the speech, it included multiple references pressuring Pence to overturn the election. The speech Miller crafted told the crowd: “We fight like hell. And if you don’t fight like hell, you’re not going to have a country anymore” and directed them to march to the Capitol. Miller was with Trump at the White House throughout January 6 as the insurrection unfolded. The House January 6 Committee questioned Miller for approximately eight hours about his role in preparing Trump’s remarks and his presence at the White House during the attack. Miller also testified multiple times before federal grand juries as part of Special Counsel Jack Smith’s criminal investigation. Miller’s authorship of the speech demonstrates his central role in the conspiracy to overturn the 2020 election, using his position as a senior policy advisor to craft rhetoric designed to incite violence and block the peaceful transfer of power.