Joe Hockey, the ex-treasurer and former Australian ambassador to the US, vividly remembers his first meeting with Stephen Miller in 2016.
asserted
Hockey → remember → 2016
Hockey had contacted Donald Trump’s campaign team, believing the real estate developer and reality TV star would become the Republican nominee for president.
asserted
developer → contact → president
Miller, then a policy adviser, and Trump campaign co-chair Sam Clovis came to the ambassador’s residence in Washington on a Friday afternoon.
asserted
Miller → come → afternoon
Clovis ate Tim Tams while Miller asked the questions.
asserted
Miller → eat → questions
“No one will talk to us, no country has reached out to us,” Miller said.
asserted
Miller → talk → us
“Why are you doing it?”
asserted
you → do → it
Hockey replied: “Because I think you’re going to win.”
asserted
you → reply → ?
By January of the following year, when Trump had not only won the nomination but was in the White House, Hockey helped smooth over the discord caused by the Obama administration’s refugee deal with Australia.
asserted
Hockey → win → Australia
It famously boiled over in an angry phone call between Trump and then prime minister Malcolm Turnbull.
asserted
It → boil → Trump
In Hockey’s telling, those early encounters proved critical.
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encounters → prove → telling
“I reminded them that when no other country would talk to them, we did.
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we → remind → them
And they have never forgotten.
asserted
they → forget → ?
Stephen’s never forgotten,” Hockey says now.
asserted
Hockey → forget → ?
Miller was a close aide during Trump’s first term, but became even more instrumental in the second, wielding enormous power as deputy chief of staff and homeland security adviser.
asserted
Miller → become → staff
Now the 41-year-old has become the 33rd White House chief of staff, a famously critical and demanding job with its own storied history.
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old → become → history
‘People should not underestimate him.’Joe
asserted
People → underestimate → him
Hockey, former Australian ambassador to the US
To say that Miller’s appointment last week stunned Washington is not quite right.
asserted
appointment → say → Washington
There had been rumours for weeks that Susie Wiles was poised to move on.
asserted
Wiles → poise → weeks
Miller, a long-serving and loyal deputy, was always going to be a top contender.
asserted
Miller → serve → ?
Miller is known as a hardline ideologue (many call him an extremist) whose inclination is not to compromise with the Democrats (or anyone else) but to fight, particularly on immigration.
asserted
inclination → know → immigration
His ascension signalled Trump was gearing up for battle.
asserted
Trump → signal → battle
One source described Miller to US news outlet Semafor as a “wartime consigliere”, a depiction that became the next day’s headline on page one of News Corp tabloid The New York Post.
asserted
that → describe → Post
Journalist and filmmaker Chris Whipple writes in Vanity Fair that Democratic strategist James Carville texted him shortly after Trump promoted Miller: “This is like Caligula’s appointment of his horse as consul.”
asserted
This → write → consul
Hockey says Miller matches Trump’s own instincts much more than Wiles, a more establishment Republican operative with deep ties in Washington.
asserted
Miller → say → Washington
“President Trump is determined to take a more aggressive stand,” he says.
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he → determine → stand
He’s a pugilist.
asserted
He → ’ → ?
He will always feel the need to defend his corner.”
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He → feel → corner
Miller is the man to do so.
asserted
Miller → do → ?
Born in Santa Monica, California, into a Jewish family that fled Russian pogroms in Belarus between 1903 and 1906, he was outspoken and combative from an early age.
asserted
he → bear → age
In his college years, he appeared on right-wing talk shows and gave provocative speeches as he ran for student leadership.
asserted
he → appear → leadership
“Am I the only one who is sick and tired of being told to pick up my trash when we have plenty of janitors who are paid to do it for us?” a young Miller says in a grainy video as other students booed and laughed.
asserted
students → tell → video
He continued to build his conservative profile at Duke University, where he wrote for the student paper and appeared in national media.
asserted
he → continue → media
Notably, he defended three lacrosse players accused of rape, while most others assumed their guilt.
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others → defend → guilt
The claim turned out to be a hoax and the accuser, a black woman, went to prison years later for murder.
uncertain
accuser → turn → murder
Miller portrayed the case as an example of reverse racism against the three white players.
asserted
Miller → portray → players
Miller has long been accused of being an extremist and white nationalist, characterisations he rejects.
asserted
he → accuse → ?
In 2020, the chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, a Democrat, labelled Miller “a known white nationalist and believer of white supremacist ideology”, and called for his resignation.
asserted
chair → label → resignation
This week, Hakeem Jeffries, the leader of the Democrats in the House of Representatives, who is set to become Speaker from early next year, made similar claims.
uncertain
who → set → claims
“Stephen Miller is a stone-cold racist,” Jeffries said.
asserted
Jeffries → say → ?
“His track record speaks for itself.
asserted
record → speak → itself
…and 51 more, not listed.
The Aporia
