Homeland Security advisor Stephen Miller is influencing Donald Trump with backdoor tactics that include opposing and weaponizing the line walked by other administration figures.
Miller has made comments and shared images through secure text encryption app Signal that have since been shared with Trump. One such post made by Miller, which was shared with White House staffers at the time, was a photo of shooting victim Alex Pretti's handgun. This was then posted to Trump's Truth Social page.
A report from the Wall Street Journal suggests Miller has "gone rogue" with his influence on the president and other members of the administration.
Cameron Adams, writing in The Daily Beast, explained, "Hours after federal agents shot and killed Alex Pretti in Minneapolis on Jan. 24, Miller labeled the ICU nurse a 'domestic terrorist' who had 'tried to assassinate federal law enforcement' on his X account."
"The WSJ report quotes administration officials familiar with the matter who said none of the language or rhetoric Miller was using was approved," the article states.
The reportedly unapproved language put White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt in an awkward spot. Leavitt would distance herself from the comments in a briefing given to the press shortly after Pretti's shooting.
She said, "Look, this has obviously been a very fluid and fast-moving situation throughout the weekend. As for President Trump, whom I speak for, he has said that he wants to let the investigation continue and let the facts lead in this case."
When asked about the comments Miller made on Pretti being a "domestic terrorist", Leavitt replied, "I have not heard the president characterize Mr Pretti in that way."
Leavitt would be pressed further on Miller's comments at the time, asked whether he would be apologizing for his comments.
"On Stephen Miller's comments, will Stephen Miller be apologizing to the family of Alex Pretti for calling him, quote, an assassin who tried to murder federal agents despite the fact that, as you say, this is still under investigation?" one correspondent wondered.
"Look, again, this incident remains under investigation, and nobody here at the White House, including the President of the United States, wants to see Americans hurt or killed and losing their lives in American streets," Leavitt remarked.
