Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Stephen Miller describes Trump-heavy family life days after wife leaves administration to work with Musk

Katie Miller is going to work for billionaire Elon Musk full-time after he left his DOGE role in administration

Kelly Rissman
Sunday 01 June 2025 19:04 BST
Comments
Elon Musk departs Trump administration

Stephen Miller, the White House deputy chief of staff for policy, has described his Trump-centric family life days after his wife left her administration post to work for Elon Musk.

After discussing Trump’s construction of the MAGA movement, his immigration stance, and Democrats’ “unsellable ideology,” Miller explained his personal ties to President Donald Trump in a softball Fox News interview with Lara Trump, the president’s daughter-in-law.

The Saturday evening interview comes days after his wife Katie Miller reportedly left her role as an adviser at the Department of Government Efficiency to work full-time for Musk, who once led the cost-cutting arm.

It’s unclear when the interview was recorded, and his wife’s departure from the administration wasn’t discussed. But Miller’s appearance seemed to serve as a counter to any rumors that there’s a rift between Musk and Trump.

The world’s richest person left DOGE after a turbulent few months taking a chainsaw to federal agencies; his 130-day special government employee status came to an end last week.

The deputy chief of staff emphasized how large a role the president and his White House have played in his family life.

White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller discusses his personal ties to the Trump administration days after his wife is reportedly leaving to work for Elon Musk
White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller discusses his personal ties to the Trump administration days after his wife is reportedly leaving to work for Elon Musk (AP)

Miller described meeting his wife during the first Trump administration. “When I first met her, she was the communications director at the Department of Homeland Security, so it’s very on-brand, the relationship, because we were on conference calls every day on border security.”

The pair even got married at the Trump International Hotel in Washington, according to the New York Times.

Miller is considered the architect of the controversial family separation policy in Trump’s first term. His wife, then a spokesperson to Vice President Mike Pence, was sent to a child detention center at the southern border to make her more compassionate, but “it didn't work," she told reporter Jacob Soboroff.

Katie Miller listens as U.S. President Donald Trump and Tesla CEO Elon Musk speak to reporters in the Oval Office of the White House on May 30, 2025 in Washington, DC. Musk. She is reportedly leaving the
Katie Miller listens as U.S. President Donald Trump and Tesla CEO Elon Musk speak to reporters in the Oval Office of the White House on May 30, 2025 in Washington, DC. Musk. She is reportedly leaving the (Getty Images)

Miller then told Lara Trump about his own children. Asked about whether his children have met Trump, Miller said he has a photo of his daughter with the president when she was just a newborn. He claimed: "My daughter is always asking to see the president again…She’s always desperate for any chance to get face time with the president.”

He added that the president is “great with kids,” describing him as a “kid magnet” and a “child whisperer.” Under Trump, apparently, children are always welcome at the White House.

“This is the most family-friendly work environment. You can bring your kid to work any time you want,” he added.

He’s been in Trump’s orbit for a decade, but to him, “sometimes it only feels like it’s been a year.”

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in