Tillis calls Miller chief of staff choice a colossal mistake
On November 6, Republican Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina sharply criticized President Donald Trump’s decision to replace White House chief of staff Susie Wiles in favor of Stephen Miller. Appearing on CNN, Tillis called Miller “the worst of all possible choices” and said Trump should reconsider the appointment.
Tillis argued that Republicans had lost the narrative on border policy in Tuesday’s elections, despite what he described as the administration ending the previous administration’s open-border policies. He said Republicans lost Hispanic voters in large part because of how border and Homeland Security policy had been handled, areas he said Miller had made central during his time in the White House.
Tillis also characterized Miller as deeply divisive among both Democrats and Republicans. He questioned whether Miller could help Trump build ties with the new Democratic majorities in Congress, saying cooperation would be needed to get legislation done. Tillis blamed Trump, rather than only his advisers, for the decision and called it a “colossal mistake.”
Miller appointment deepens concerns over Trump’s political approach
President Donald Trump’s choice of Stephen Miller to replace Susie Wiles as White House chief of staff drew a pointed warning from Republican Sen. Thom Tillis on November 6: the appointment could make an already difficult political path harder.
Tillis said Republicans lost Tuesday’s elections after failing to make their case on border policy, even though he argued the administration had ended the prior administration’s open-border policies. He also said Republicans lost Hispanic voters in large part because of the handling of border and Homeland Security policy, which he described as major issues for Miller in the White House.
Tillis called Miller one of the most polarizing figures in politics, including within the Republican Party. He questioned how someone with such a divisive background could serve as an “olive branch” to new Democratic congressional majorities. His criticism puts the focus on the cost of choosing a figure he views as unable to bridge political divides, and he said Trump himself must rethink the decision.
Tillis warns Miller choice could undermine Republican priorities
Republican Sen. Thom Tillis said President Donald Trump’s decision to replace Susie Wiles with Stephen Miller as chief of staff risks compounding the party’s problems after Tuesday’s elections. Tillis called the appointment “the worst of all possible choices” on November 6 and urged Trump to reconsider.
Tillis said Republicans had failed to control the story on border policy, a subject where he argued the administration had achieved a success by ending the previous administration’s open-border policies. He said the party lost Hispanic voters in large part because of the handling of border and Homeland Security policy, both issues he linked to Miller’s work in the White House.
Tillis’s objection was also practical: he argued that a figure divisive even among Republicans would struggle to build the relationships needed with new Democratic congressional majorities. Trump made the appointment, Tillis stressed, and should own the decision. His warning frames the choice as a political misstep that could make it harder for the party to turn its stated border-policy record into electoral support and legislative results.
