Jonathan Swan

No question. The Washington Republican establishment at that time saw Stephen Miller as an irritant and dismissed him. And, you know, it's interesting now, you know, when my colleagues, Maggie Haberman, Charlie Savage, David Fahrenthold, and myself reported out this story, you know, you talk to people who were in influential positions back then, they can't believe where he's ended up.

But that all changed when Donald Trump launched his campaign for president in 2015.

But that all changed when Donald Trump launched his campaign for president in 2015.

Well, it was almost a religious experience for him watching Donald Trump come down that escalator. Wow. Jeff Sessions was his vehicle at that time, but Jeff Sessions does not have the charisma to be a true national figure. Jeff Sessions was never going to win the presidency. Here is this celebrity...

Well, it was almost a religious experience for him watching Donald Trump come down that escalator. Wow. Jeff Sessions was his vehicle at that time, but Jeff Sessions does not have the charisma to be a true national figure. Jeff Sessions was never going to win the presidency. Here is this celebrity...

Donald Trump, every American knows who he is, gives this speech where he says that Mexico is sending rapists across the border. I mean, Stephen Miller could have written that speech. And it's this moment of exhilaration for Stephen Miller. He didn't know Donald Trump at that point. He wasn't wired into his inner circle. But he starts over a period of months

Donald Trump, every American knows who he is, gives this speech where he says that Mexico is sending rapists across the border. I mean, Stephen Miller could have written that speech. And it's this moment of exhilaration for Stephen Miller. He didn't know Donald Trump at that point. He wasn't wired into his inner circle. But he starts over a period of months

getting in touch with Donald Trump's team, offering ideas. And eventually he gets absorbed onto the Donald Trump team and they see immediately his value. He would stay up all night writing speeches. This was his whole life. It was all he cared about. He was obsessed, particularly with the immigration issue, but obsessed with getting Donald Trump elected.

getting in touch with Donald Trump's team, offering ideas. And eventually he gets absorbed onto the Donald Trump team and they see immediately his value. He would stay up all night writing speeches. This was his whole life. It was all he cared about. He was obsessed, particularly with the immigration issue, but obsessed with getting Donald Trump elected.

And so he became this indispensable figure for Donald Trump.

And so he became this indispensable figure for Donald Trump.

Exactly. And, you know, the other element was Trump trusts him. Trump has always been very paranoid about leakers around him and he's never seen Stephen that way. He's always viewed Stephen as someone he can completely trust.

Exactly. And, you know, the other element was Trump trusts him. Trump has always been very paranoid about leakers around him and he's never seen Stephen that way. He's always viewed Stephen as someone he can completely trust.

So Miller comes into government. He really doesn't know a lot about how the federal government works. He's super aggressive. He wants to get things done. He wants to close the border and expel immigrants and do all the things that they've been talking about on the campaign. But... does not necessarily have the wherewithal at that time to execute.

So Miller comes into government. He really doesn't know a lot about how the federal government works. He's super aggressive. He wants to get things done. He wants to close the border and expel immigrants and do all the things that they've been talking about on the campaign. But... does not necessarily have the wherewithal at that time to execute.

One of the early stumbles was the travel ban against Muslim-majority countries. It was very sloppily drafted, poorly coordinated, and it ended up being struck down. They had to redraft it. They implement the infamous zero-tolerance policy where they separate parents from their children at the border. But after a period of bad media coverage, Donald Trump... reverses that order.

One of the early stumbles was the travel ban against Muslim-majority countries. It was very sloppily drafted, poorly coordinated, and it ended up being struck down. They had to redraft it. They implement the infamous zero-tolerance policy where they separate parents from their children at the border. But after a period of bad media coverage, Donald Trump... reverses that order.

And that was something that Stephen Miller had advocated for. And so Stephen Miller found himself thwarted at many levels throughout the first couple of years of the presidency. But by 2020, he had really gotten his footing. He'd learned a lot about where the levers of power were in the government. And by the end, they used COVID to effectively seal the southern border.

And that was something that Stephen Miller had advocated for. And so Stephen Miller found himself thwarted at many levels throughout the first couple of years of the presidency. But by 2020, he had really gotten his footing. He'd learned a lot about where the levers of power were in the government. And by the end, they used COVID to effectively seal the southern border.

They implement Title 42, which is to declare a public health emergency at the border, which basically gave them the ability to immediately turn people back.