Media Must Cover Miller’s Promotion as a Radical Choice

Days after voters repudiated Trumpism, Trump promoted Stephen Miller to White House chief of staff. Miller argued for suspending habeas corpus to round up immigrants and told CNN the U.S. should acquire Greenland by force, saying the world is “governed by force.” He has called Democrats a “domestic extremist organization” and described Renee Good and Alex Pretti, both killed by federal agents in Minneapolis, as “domestic terrorists.”

Too much coverage will present this as a routine staff shuffle, with Susie Wiles moving to a political role. It is a signal. On Election Night, Trump said he would “probably work something out” with Democrats, then handed the West Wing to its most uncompromising voice. His far-right allies understood: one called Miller a “wartime chief of staff,” and another said “the dogs have been let off the chain.”

We call on the media to cover Miller’s appointment as what it is: a radical decision, made in defiance of the voters’ verdict, that will shape the last two years of this presidency. The public deserves reporting that examines his record, his stated views, and what he plans to do with the most powerful staff job in Washington.