Who is behind cruel policies?
The Opinion page of the Feb. 8 Daily Herald carried an editorial titled: “In search of a sense of decency.” The editorial focused on President Trump’s demonstrated disdain for any sense of human decency on multiple occasions. His posting on Truth Social of blatantly racist images, depicting Barack and Michelle Obama as apes, was just the latest example.
Much worse is the reflection of the president’s personal animus toward black and brown people via his indecent, dehumanizing immigration policy orchestrated by Stephen Miller, Deputy Chief of Staff and Special Advisor. Miller has risen to unprecedented influence in the Trump administration — purveying white nationalism all along the way.
Miller uses his close relationship with the president to reinforce his worst impulses. This brings to mind the hauntingly similar roles played by Adolf Hitler’s close advisers Goebbels and Martin Bormann. Goebbels was Hitler’s chief propagandist and speechwriter, like Miller, who authored Trump's “American Carnage” inaugural address. Goebbels crafted the Nazi Party's public narrative — scapegoating Jews via dehumanizing rhetoric as does Miller regarding immigrants.
Bormann, Hitler’s private secretary, exercised immense power comparable to Miller’s role, where he apparently bypasses Chief of Staff Susie Wiles to influence the president — rendering hard-line policies such as the 2017 Muslin travel ban, family separation, the scapegoating of immigrants as well as aggressive action by ICE.
Miller is the man behind the development, execution and promulgation of Trump's cruel and indecent polices that have a much more serious impact than his racist post on Truth Social. The cover of the March-April 2026 issue of Mother Jones captured the essence of the Trump administration with a twist on Archibald Willard's “The Spirit of ’76” painting. It portrays Trump, book-ended by Vance and Miller, with Vance and Trump enthusiastically beating their drums as they march to the tune played by Miller on his fife.
Frank G. Splitt
Mount Prospect