Stephen Miller, White House deputy chief of staff for policy, is "arguably the most powerful" West Wing staffer in decades, according to New York Times journalist Maggie Haberman. Haberman described Miller as the architect of former President Donald Trump's hard-line immigration agenda and a figure whose influence extends significantly within and outside the government.
Appearing on an episode of Legal AF’s “The Court of History” podcast, Haberman stated that Miller is "extremely adept at presenting himself as the president’s voice in meetings" and "essentially presents himself as the last word and says this is what the president wants." She characterized Miller and his wife, MAGA podcaster Katie Miller, as having "made themselves a power center of their own who people are incredibly afraid to cross."
According to Haberman, top Trump administration officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, FBI Director Kash Patel, and Attorney General Todd Blanche, understood that they "had to work with or at least fear crossing" Stephen Miller. She emphasized the reality of his influence, stating, "These are people who believe to one degree or another they have to answer to Stephen."
Haberman also claimed that some officials are hesitant to cross Katie Miller. While her podcast features appearances from senior White House officials, Haberman noted it "does not have a huge listener base." Nevertheless, she asserted that the Millers wield "an enormous amount of power, and it [...]] does radiate outside the government."