Stephen Miller’s promotion as Trump’s Top Aide as Susie Wiles exits the White House as an aftermath of the sweeping Midterms results reflects the President’s strategy and position as his administration enters its last two years: the core policies will remain unmoderated and undeterred with the new Democrat majority. To Democrats, it reads as defiance: ignoring the midterm results as the voters mandate to change course as voters rejects the extreme measures and policies which led to the Blue Tsunami that changed the Congress metrics from coast to coast. Although the President had floated the idea of his willingness to work with Democrats across different agendas and issues, the positioning of Miller as the Top Aide also sends a signal that Trump rewards loyalty, and performance, of which Miller is known for his strong and accelerated execution of Trump’s agenda. But in the new Congress, the power shift also means that unlike the first two years, there is now the balance of power. The decision to promote miller on the other side of the coin hardens Democratic opposition, elevates a figure already targeted for investigation, and reduces the likelihood of any meaningful cross-aisle deals in the final two years of the term. The midterms showed measurable public unease with the scale and style of mass deportation; elevating its chief architect places that tension at the center of the White House for the remainder of Trump’s presidency. The next two years will define the Trump presidency and Miller’s role will be impactful in this definition.
