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By Hollie Silverman
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House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, a New York Democrat, on Sunday ruled out working with Stephen Miller following President Donald Trump’s decision to name the longtime immigration hard-liner as White House chief of staff, declaring that cooperation with Miller is “not going to happen.”
Speaking on ABC News’ This Week, Jeffries signaled that Democrats could seek areas of agreement with Trump following the Democratic Party's sweeping midterm victories on Tuesday but drew a strict line at dealing directly with the incoming chief of staff.
Trump announced Friday that Miller, who previously served as deputy chief of staff for policy, would replace Susie Wiles as White House chief of staff. The appointment places one of the most influential architects of Trump’s immigration agenda—including his first-term travel ban and broader policies on federal spending—at the center of an administration preparing to face a Democratic-controlled Congress in January.
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Newsweek reached out to the White House by email Sunday for comment.
Democratic Opposition to Miller's Appointment
Jeffries, who could possibly be the next House speaker, left open the possibility of finding common ground with the administration following the elections, but he took a sharp turn when asked specifically about Miller.
“It’s an awful choice,” Jeffries told host Jonathan Karl. “Stephen Miller is the architect of Donald Trump’s violent mass deportation machine.”
The congressman accused Miller of helping direct policies that he said had used “billions of taxpayer dollars to brutalize and kill American citizens, like Alex Pretti and Renee Nicole Good,” while “violently target[ing] law-abiding, immigrant families and communities all across the country.”
“It was an irresponsible decision in my view,” Jeffries said. “There’s not going to be an opportunity, certainly, to work with Stephen Miller and what he represents.”
He added that Democrats remain “committed to forcefully pushing back against the extremism that they may try to continue to unleash on the American people,” arguing that the midterm results established “a firewall in the House and a firewall in the Senate.”
Asked by Karl whether the kind of regular communication Jeffries previously maintained with Wiles would be impossible with Miller, Jeffries reaffirmed his stance.
“It’s not going to happen with the new chief of staff,” Jeffries said, adding that Miller, alongside Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and other administration figures, represented “a really toxic brand of political engagement, of politics and of governance.”
Jeffries maintained that voters rejected “that kind of MAGA extremism” in the midterms, citing Republican losses across House, Senate, gubernatorial, and state legislative races.
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A Divided Government and the Road Ahead
The clash highlights the immediate political pressure building in Washington. Republicans lost control of Congress in the midterms following pushback against Trump’s economic and domestic policies, with Associated Press voter polling indicating notable shifts toward Democrats among Latino and younger voters.
The resulting divided government leaves both the White House and incoming Democratic majorities navigating where—or if—they can find common ground over the final two years of Trump’s term.
A day before the midterms, Trump vowed to become "Mr. Veto" if Democrats took Congress. Overriding a presidential veto requires two-thirds support in both chambers. Trump, however, has indicated that he is open to deals with Democrats in an interview with 60 Minutes that is scheduled to air Sunday night.
Republicans retain control of Congress through the remainder of the lame-duck session before Democrats assume majorities in January.
Miller Gives First Speech as Chief of Staff
At Mar-a-Lago on Friday night, Miller said in his speech that it was “the privilege of a lifetime to join President Trump,” before adding: “If it wasn’t for President Trump, the United States of America would not exist right now.”
“This man saved America,” Miller said. “He saved our military from collapse, he saved our economy from destruction, he saved our border from annihilation and he saved our country from threats at home and abroad which would have been the end of the American dream forever.”
The chief of staff later said: “I pledge to you Mr. President my absolute loyalty, my unwavering commitment and my total devotion to your success and the success of this country.”
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Newsweek*’s reporters and editors used Martyn, our AI assistant, to produce this story. Learn more about Martyn here.* Contact Newsweek editors for this story: Steve Mollman and Anthony Murray.
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