Pressure is mounting on key White House senior adviser Stephen Miller following the fatal shooting of intensive care nurse Alex Pretti by border patrol agents in Minneapolis and the politically divisive aftermath. Miller, the architect of Donald Trump’s hardline immigration policy, finds himself in the unusual position of being contradicted and excluded from crucial decisions by the president.
About three and a half hours after the tragedy on Saturday, Miller took to social media to describe the 37-year-old Pretti as a “would-be assassin” who “tried to murder federal agents.” However, on Tuesday, when asked if he believed Pretti was an assassin, Trump simply said, “No.”
The president held a two-hour meeting with Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem in the Oval Office on Monday evening at her request. Miller was notably absent.
Meanwhile, Axios reported, citing four unnamed sources, that Miller was behind the Department of Homeland Security’s unfounded claim that Pretti intended to “massacre” officers—a claim echoed by Noem. One source stated, “Stephen heard ‘gun’ and knew what the narrative would be: Pretti came to ‘massacre’ cops.”
But in a rare reversal for someone known for doubling down on his positions, Miller admitted to CNN on Tuesday that border patrol agents “may not have been following” proper protocol before the fatal shooting.
This time, even the Trump administration couldn’t control the narrative. Multiple witness videos exposed the false official account, sparking public outrage from citizens, business leaders, and even some Republicans. This forced the president into a partial retreat on Monday.
Trump decided to pull Border Patrol Commander Greg Bovino out of Minneapolis and send in his border czar, Tom Homan—who has been critical of Miller’s approach—to “recalibrate tactics” and improve cooperation with state and local officials. The president also held cordial phone calls with Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey.
This raised questions about Noem’s future. More than 160 House Democrats have signed onto an effort to impeach her. When asked on Tuesday if she would step down, Trump insisted she would not, saying, “I think she’s doing a very good job. The border is totally secure.”
However, the true architect of the Minneapolis debacle may be Miller. Officially the White House deputy chief of staff, he has been compared by some to Trump’s prime minister. Axios reported that his influence effectively overshadows Noem’s, despite her cabinet-level position. According to the report, Noem once told an interlocutor, “Everything I’ve done, I’ve done at the direction of the president and Stephen.”
For example, last May, Miller reportedly told Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) he wanted 3,000 immigration arrests per day—a nearly tenfold increase from the previous year. Larry Jacobs, director of the Center for the Study of Politics and Governance at the University of Minnesota, argues that Miller’s abuses of power have discredited Trump’s deportation policy.
“Stephen Miller is the architect,” Jacobs said. “He’s the guy who has been pushing ICE to get tougher and deliver higher numbers, saying bring people in and we’ll sort out later whether you got the right ones. The recklessness, the brutality, the lack of legal process—all of that stems from Stephen Miller. So, his exclusion from the White House meeting sends a strong message to Washington that the president disapproves of this process and that change is needed. I don’t expect Miller to be fired because Trump supports the policy itself, just not how it was carried out.”
Miller, 40, has proven adept at turning Trump’s impulses into policy. He has been central to the “Make America Great Again” agenda and is known for his conspicuous loyalty.There is little chance of him losing his job. However, his handling of the Minneapolis situation was a rare misstep where he moved ahead of his boss. Some observers believe he will now take a back seat until the controversy passes.
Henry Olsen, a senior fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center in Washington, said, “He’ll have a much less public role in the foreseeable future. Trump personally dislikes the PR fallout from what’s been happening, and he’s sensitive to that—always has been. He knows, both instinctively and from the data, that Miller and Noem did themselves no favors by how quickly they came out to address the killing.”
Olsen does not believe Miller is in danger of becoming the fall guy, however. “Miller’s been with him for quite some time. Trump has no problem firing subordinates who aren’t performing, but Miller is performing in many ways, and Trump won’t toss him aside lightly.”
Miller delivers where it matters most to Trump: on television. He is a combative defender of the president, known for colorful language that labels Democrats a “domestic extremist organization” and describes America as leading a world “governed by strength, governed by force, governed by power.” His wife, Katie Miller, is working to establish herself as a MAGA podcaster.
Rick Wilson, co-founder of the anti-Trump group the Lincoln Project, said, “Stephen Miller is too central to Trump’s idea of what the MAGA base wants to be cut out entirely. I don’t think there’s any scenario where Stephen Miller loses his authority or influence with Trump.”
Wilson, a veteran Republican political strategist, added, “Strategically, he may step back slightly, but he isn’t going to give up power. He’s worked too hard to get where he is. The problem with Stephen Miller is that evil is resilient. He feels no shame. He doesn’t believe he’s done anything wrong. He’s convinced others have embarrassed him—not that he’s waging a broad assault on Americans’ constitutional liberties.”
Frequently Asked Questions
Of course Here is a list of FAQs about the situation regarding Stephen Miller Alex Pretti and Donald Trump
BeginnerLevel Questions
1 Who is Stephen Miller
Stephen Miller is a former senior advisor to President Donald Trump known as a key architect of Trumps immigration policies He remains a close outside advisor and speechwriter for Trumps 2024 campaign
2 Who was Alex Pretti
Alex Pretti was a 37yearold man who was shot and killed in California The suspect in his killing is an undocumented immigrant who had been previously arrested but was not turned over to federal immigration authorities for deportation due to local sanctuary policies
3 Why is pressure mounting on Stephen Miller now
Pressure is mounting because Stephen Miller and his organization America First Legal have been vocal advocates for strict immigration enforcement Critics argue that the circumstances of Prettis death exemplify the failures of policies Miller opposes indirectly tying the tragic outcome to the political debate he fuels
4 Is Trump going to fire or distance himself from Stephen Miller
Based on current reporting and their long history it is considered very unlikely Trump values Millers loyalty and his alignment with the core immigration message of America First
Intermediate Advanced Questions
5 What is the direct connection between Miller and this specific case
There is no direct operational connection The link is ideological and political Millers lifelong political focus is on restricting immigration and opposing sanctuary cities This case has become a flashpoint in that national debate putting advocates like Miller in the spotlight
6 What are sanctuary policies and why are they relevant here
Sanctuary policies are local or state rules that limit cooperation between local law enforcement and federal immigration authorities In this case the suspect was arrested by local police months before the killing but was not held for ICE which might have led to his deportation Miller is a fierce critic of these policies
7 What is America First Legal and what is its role
America First Legal is a conservative legal group founded by Stephen Miller It often files lawsuits against the Biden administrations policies particularly on immigration It uses cases like Prettis to argue against sanctuary policies and for stricter enforcement
8 If this is such a controversial case why wouldnt Trump cut ties for political reasons
Trumps political brand is
