Stephen Miller – American Fascist

About this episode

This episode explores the controversial figure Stephen Miller and his influence on the Trump administration's policies.

Welcome to a bonus episode of Origin Story. Sometimes we profile people who are psychologically complex, who have undertaken fascinating intellectual journeys, whose sins and achievements are intertwined in ways that defy simplistic judgements. President Trump’s fiendish chief advisor Stephen Miller is not one of those people. We regret to inform you that it’s Miller Time. Currently the deputy White House chief of staff, Miller has been Trump’s most influential aide for the past decade, steering him towards ever greater extremes of nativism and authoritarianism. He’s been described as Trump’s prime minister, the shadow president, the intellectual engine behind MAGA fascism, and a real-world version of Tolkien’s Grima Wormtongue. To understand the Trump administration, you need to understand Stephen Miller. But where did he come from and why is he still here? In this episode, we explain how Miller emerged from the toxic politics of 1990s California to became an abrasive right-wing troll before he’d even graduated from middle school. At high school in Santa Monica and college in North Carolina, it was the same story: no friends but plenty of attention. On the one hand, Miller…

People in this episode

Guest: Stephen Miller

Topics covered

• politics
• nativism
• authoritarianism
• Trump administration
• immigration
• history

Keywords

• Stephen Miller
• Trump
• nativism
• authoritarianism
• immigration
• politics
• California
• history

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: White House

Books & works: Tolkien’s Grima Wormtongue

Places: California, Santa Monica, North Carolina

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