Stephen Miller Emerges as "Prime Minister" with Unprecedented Power Across All Policy

By February 2025, Stephen Miller had consolidated power to an extent unprecedented for a White House deputy chief of staff, earning the nickname “the prime minister” in Trump circles due to his sprawling influence over virtually all administration activities. Miller meets daily with Trump and Chief of Staff Susie Wiles to determine which executive orders will be signed, drafts or edits every executive order, and has authority extending far beyond his official title. When asked whether Miller might become national security adviser in May 2025, Trump told reporters it would be a “downgrade,” stating “Stephen Miller is at the top of the totem pole. I mean, I think he sort of indirectly already has that job.” Miller serves as deputy chief of staff for policy AND homeland security adviser, granting him formal authority over immigration, domestic policy, and national security decisions. His influence extends into foreign policy, where officials described him as co-leading counter-drug missions with Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Miller has emerged as the “rare adviser who served all four years of the president’s first term and returned to serve again,” but his power has dramatically expanded compared to Trump’s first term. Where Miller was often frustrated 2017-2021, he now understands how to “pull the levers of government and reach deep into federal agencies to exert Trump’s will in new and expansive fashion.” Miller leads Trump’s offensive on Democratic cities, spearheading federal takeover of D.C. police and marshaling law enforcement for deportation raids nationwide. He works closely with Elon Musk on government efficiency initiatives, silences debate by declaring Trump has given the “green light” on policy decisions, and is considered one of few “untouchable” White House staffers. Miller’s consolidation of power represents the triumph of white nationalist ideology at the center of American government, with an unelected extremist controlling policy across immigration, law enforcement, national security, and domestic affairs.