Who is Stephen Miller? Trump's very controversial new chief of staff named as Susie Wiles departs in wake of midterms bloodbath

Trump loyalist and controversial political operative Stephen Miller has been named as the new White House Chief of Staff after over a decade of devotion to the MAGA movement. The president awarded Miller, 41, the coveted spot on Friday, describing him as 'one of my most trusted advisors' as he replaced outgoing 'Ice Maiden' chief, Susie Wiles, 69.Feared among liberals as a hardline conservative crusader who has Trump's ear, Miller is known for his staunch views on immigration and policing that have even reportedly left Trump feeling he goes 'too far.'In recent weeks, this has even seen First Lady Melania Trump complain about Miller's inflexible immigration policies, which had led to some of her own friends being arrested and deported. Critics cite him as the architect of many of Trump's most divisive policies over the years, including orchestrating migrant family separations during deportations in Trump's first term.But while liberals abhor Miller, conservatives praise him as a savvy operator who has become Trump's most faithful servant in his decade dominating American politics.Miller now faces the daunting task of leading Trump through a 'lame duck' end to his days in the White House, after Republicans were routed in Tuesday's midterms and lost both chambers of congress. Trump loyalist and controversial political operative Stephen Miller has been named as the new White House Chief of Staff after over a decade of devotion to the MAGA movement Miller has been a mainstay by President Trump's side in his decade of dominance over American politics, and he has forged a fearful reputation among liberals as a hardline conservative crusaderBorn in Santa Monica, California, Miller was raised in a Jewish family, and said he underwent a political awakening in his adolescence when he read the book 'Guns, Crime, and Freedom' by NRA CEO Wayne LaPierre.During his high school years, Miller said he was turned off by the liberal politics of many of his peers, and he became an outspoken activist for conservative causes, including pressuring his school to bring back the Pledge of Allegiance after it was briefly banned.When he attended Duke University to study political science, Miller rose to infamy on the campus for his column in the school's newspaper, Miller Time, which he often used to lampoon the university and slam its liberal faculty. In 2006, Miller gained infamy on campus when he used the column to defend a group of lacrosse players who were accused of rape. The case captured national attention at the time as the accuser, Crystal Mangum, a black woman, claimed she was gang-raped by three white lacrosse players on the school's team. While many condemned the accused players, Miller argued that they were presumed guilty because of their race as he said they were victims of a 'witch hunt,' also making numerous media appearances defending them. The lacrosse players were later vindicated, and Miller told The Athletic last year that he counted his defense of the players among his greatest accomplishments. While MIller is detested by liberals for his hardline views, conservatives praise him as a savvy political operator who has steered the MAGA movement for a decade Before working for Trump, Miller worked under Alabama Senator Jeff Sessions (seen together in 2012) Miller's activism in the Duke lacrosse hoax served as the bedrock of his political career, and many of his remarks at the time echo into the current Trump administration. This included in one Miller Time column in 2006, titled 'Betrayal,' where Miller bemoaned professors who he believed wanted to 'indoctrinate students in their personal ideologies and prejudices' – strikingly similar rhetoric to the Trump administration's current crackdown at universities. After graduating from Duke, Miller quickly went into Republican politics and worked as a congressional staffer for a number of GOP lawmakers, first as a press secretary for Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann. He began working for Alabama Senator Jeff Sessions in 2009, where Miller forged his reputation, even pushing ultraconservative Sessions to the right on immigration reforms and reportedly urging him to speak out on the topic. When Sessions successfully ended an immigration reform bill in 2013 that would have opened the door to legalize millions of illegal immigrants, it was Miller who was credited with killing the bill. This reportedly included Miller compiling a 23-page handbook for congressmen, instructing them how to ensure the bill never came to fruition. Miller's work with Sessions from 2009 to 2015 was among the most staunchly conservative in Congress, and the pair were widely credited for laying the populist groundwork for Trump's longshot bid for the presidency. And while Miller enjoyed success under Sessions in the Senate, he found his true calling when Trump launched his presidential campaign and famously rode down the golden escalator in 2015. Miller has been credited as the architect of many of Trump's most divisive policies Miller was said to have been enamored with Trump's no-nonsense rhetoric when he launched his longshot bid for the presidency in 2015, and he has been by his side ever sinceMiller was said to have been enamored with Trump's no-nonsense campaign bulldozing toward Washington, and he begged for a job. In his time working under Trump in his first administration, Miller became the face of the president's most unpopular and divisive policies, while also writing many of the speeches that defined Trump's first stint in the White House. Primarily shaping immigration policies, Miller was a leading proponent of the family separation policy, which took children away from their parents who had illegally entered the US.Miller was also a strong supporter of Trump's 'Muslim ban,' which restricted entry into the US from a number of Muslim-majority nations. During Trump's first term, Miller also faced calls for his resignation from over 100 members of Congress after leaked emails allegedly revealed he had frequently shared white nationalist materials. He was criticized by the Southern Poverty Law Center for 'open white nationalism,' but Trump refused to cave and kept Miller on his team. When Trump lost the presidency in 2020, Miller founded the America First Legal Foundation, which he said was for 'those who believe in America First must not shy away from using our legal system to defend our society and our families from any unlawful actions by the left.' The firm acted essentially as a conservative counter-weight to the ACLU, using litigation to pressure changes to progressive policies. Miller remained close to Trump during his political exile, and promptly joined Trump's 2024 presidential campaign, playing a central role in his comeback. The new White House chief of staff alongside his wife Katie, with whom he shares four childrenAt a rally in New York City during the campaign, Miller courted controversy when he declared that 'America is for Americans and Americans only,' and he was often blamed for Trump's hardline rhetoric. With Trump turning the powers of the presidency into overdrive early in his second term, Miller used his political guile to push for expansive changes to the federal immigration system. He took responsibility for carrying out Trump's mass deportations pledge, while also serving as the deputy chief of staff and homeland security advisor. Miller's ascendance to chief of staff brings questions over what direction the 41-year-old could take the Trump presidency, raising the possibility of more extreme measures to cement his legacy. In Trump's own words, the president said early in his second term that he would want Miller to speak to his audience, but he was afraid he would 'explain his true feelings.''But that might be going a little bit too far,' Trump said.