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Journalist Jean Guerrero, author of the 2020 biography Hatemonger, discussed Stephen Miller’s rise to power and his influence during Donald Trump’s second term in an interview with WIRED. Guerrero spent years analyzing how Miller, who grew up in Southern California around liberal communities and immigrants, aligned himself with anti-immigrant and nationalist views.
A History of Disproportionate Influence
Guerrero stated that Miller has held a disproportionate amount of power since the first Trump campaign, consistently turning his roles into something greater than their historical scope. Anticipating his latest appointment, Guerrero described him as Trump’s most effective sycophant and longest-lasting adviser. White House spokesperson Lauren Bis praised Miller’s past contributions, stating as reported by WIRED, “Stephen Miller has been a key player in delivering on President Trump’s America First agenda including spearheading the administration’s crime crackdown including in DC and Memphis, record setting deregulation, unleashing American energy, dismantling drug cartels, and securing our border. In his new role, he will continue to deliver historic successes for the American people.”
Escalation and Tech Partnerships
Addressing the timing of Miller’s appointment following difficult midterms for Republicans, Guerrero suggested Trump is turning to Miller’s expertise in anti-immigrant scapegoating to distract the public and rally his base. However, she expressed doubt that it will work this time due to public horror over the administration’s war on immigrants. Rather than moderating following controversial actions by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Guerrero expects Miller to double down, potentially shifting his focus toward penalizing allies of immigrants and characterizing social justice advocates as domestic terrorists.
Guerrero warned that Miller is likely to collaborate with surveillance companies and tech billionaires to challenge the right to privacy and free speech. She noted that Miller’s worldview was heavily influenced by the white supremacist French novel The Camp of the Saints, which portrays both brown immigrants and their citizen allies as villains.
From White Nationalist to Class Supremacist
Guerrero explained that her perspective on Miller has evolved, shifting from viewing him fundamentally as a white nationalist to seeing him as a class supremacist and a case study in oligarchic capture. She connected his current foreign policy stances and immigration policies to behavior from his youth, noting that as a teenager and college student, he demanded that custodial staff pick up his trash and protested requests to clean up after himself.
Guerrero concluded that Miller’s focus on criminalizing immigrants serves to prevent them from uniting with other workers to demand dignity. She stated that Miller ultimately desires a servant class rather than a working class.
