Stephen Miller's first big project as White House chief of staff has a glaring flaw, according to one analyst.
Journalist Paula Reid shot down Miller's hopes to use his post to win back working-class and minority men who backed President Donald Trump in 2024 but swung toward Democrats in last week's midterms. During a panel discussion featured by Scott MacFarlane, chief Washington correspondent at MeidasTouch, on his YouTube channel Friday, Reid argued Miller is the last person who could pull that off. Miller's plan was first reported by Axios, which cited two inside sources.
"If you're looking to bring them back in the fold, Stephen Miller is certainly not the messenger for that because his rhetoric on immigration and race overall is part of what alienated those key supporters," Reid said. "And again, the idea of Miller being the ambassador that you send to this group, I mean, that's just baffling."
Reid noted that there has been talk of Miller going after so-called "woke" policies and diversity, equity and inclusion programs, but she doubted that would be enough to bring those voters home. She added the Trump administration has no track record of striking the kind of bipartisan economic deals that might win them back.
MacFarlane compared Republicans' strategy to his own days before GPS.
"I was that guy driving in the wrong direction," he said. "I would just keep driving hoping things would turn around or somehow I'd find the place I'm trying to go."
The panel also aired a clip of House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries flatly rejecting Miller as a partner.
"Stephen Miller is a stone cold racist," Jeffries said. "His track record speaks for itself, and I've got zero interest in working with that kind of individual."
MacFarlane said incoming Democrats have "no faith or trust" that Trump and Miller genuinely want to work with them.
"They'll believe it when they see it," he said.