Instead of watching Karine Jean-Pierre struggle to read answers from a giant binder on the podium in front of her, the White House press conferences thus far in President Donald Trump’s second term have been open, engaging, and informative.
In addition to White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt fielding questions from correspondents from an assortment of media outlets, advisers like Stephen Miller also appear from time to time.
During Thursday’s press conference, Miller, who serves as Trump’s deputy chief of staff for policy, offered some in-depth analysis in response to one question from the Gateway Pundit’s Jordan Conradson.
As the Daily Caller reported, the gist of the query related to leftist complaints that Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency hold too much influence within the current White House:
“You’re tempting me to say some very harsh things about some of our media friends. Yes, it is true that many of the people in this room, for four years, failed to cover the fact that Joe Biden was mentally incompetent and was not running the country,” Miller said. “It is also true that many people in this room who have used this talking point that Elon [Musk] is not elected fail to understand how government works, so I am glad for the opportunity for a brief civics lesson. A president is elected by the whole American people, he is the only official in the entire government that is elected by the entire nation, right? Judges are appointed, members of Congress are elected at the district and state level, just one man in the Constitution, Article II, has a clause, known as the vesting clause, and it says that the executive power shall be vested in a president. Singular. The whole will of democracy is imbued into the elected president. That president then appoints staff to then impose that democratic will on to the government.”
We’ll include a full clip of his remarks below, but first let’s take a look at a few other notable moments involving Miller:
Peter Doocy asks about the $5,000 DOGE payments — and the much-asked question of WHO GETS THE REMAINING 60%.
Stephen Miller replies — indicates Congress needs to decide on the checks:
"You can return it to taxpayers or our debtors — or it can be cycled into next year's budget." pic.twitter.com/0cHGyb96Ig
— The Washington Observer (@WashObserver) February 20, 2025
Stephen Miller is BOSS!
🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/l2vKs8N5fp— Girl patriot (@Girlpatriot1974) February 19, 2025
BREAKING: WHERE ARE THE MISSING 350,000 CHILDREN?
White House Deputy Chief of Staff, Stephen Miller declares we are going to account for every single missing child. Who’s buying them? Who’s selling them? What happens to them? How does the money flow and who processes the funds?… pic.twitter.com/ORbrBgUokc— Good Dog (@GoodDog94619152) February 17, 2025
Sky News also covered Miller’s “civics lesson”:
White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller gave reporters a “civics lesson” on presidential powers amid concerns about Elon Musk serving as an “unelected bureaucrat”.
He criticised the media for ignoring Joe Biden’s mental decline while questioning Elon Musk’s role in government.
Miller explained that the president is the only official elected by the entire nation and has constitutional authority to appoint staff to execute his agenda.
He argued that the true threat to democracy is an “unelected bureaucracy” of lifetime civil servants who act without accountability.
ADVERTISEMENT“Many people in this room who have used this talking point that Elon is not elected fail to understand how government works,” he told reporters on Thursday.
And here’s the full clip:
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