White House Leadership: Sanders dismisses Miller appointment
Vermont senator says he is not worried about the new chief of staff while urging Democrats to focus on working-class issues rather than oversight.
By Thabo Hoffmann ·
Stephen Miller has replaced Susie Wiles as White House chief of staff, a move that has drawn scrutiny from the left. Senator Bernie Sanders, a frequent critic of Miller, stated on Sunday that he is not worried by the appointment.
The personnel change follows the Republican defeat in the November 2026 midterm elections. Miller, a longtime ally of President Donald Trump, pledged his total devotion to the administration's success in remarks made on Friday. His elevation signals a continued reliance on Trump's core rhetoric despite the shifting political balance in Congress.
Speaking with Meet the Press host Kristen Welker, Sanders addressed his history of clashing with Miller. Welker asked if the Vermont senator could see himself working with the new chief of staff. Sanders responded that Trump is mentally unbalanced and erratic, but he is not stupid and is a good politician.
Sanders argued that Trump might sympathize with the idea of raising the minimum wage to a living wage if he looks at the millions of people working for starvation wages. He suggested Trump would enjoy taking credit for guaranteeing healthcare to all people, a standard met by every other major country.
"So I'm not worried about Miller," Sanders said. "Do I think we can work with Trump? Maybe. By no means guaranteeing it, but it is certainly worth the effort."
Many Democrats have called for investigating and executing oversight on the Trump administration following their midterm gains. Sanders urged his colleagues not to spend all of their time investigating Trump. Instead, he said, they ought to stand up for working-class families and make a real difference in their lives.
The senator has long criticized Miller's right-wing views on immigration. Last month, Sanders dismissed Vice President Vance's claim that the two men were aligned on closing the U.S.-Mexico border. Sanders called that view Republican mythology and argued the country should appreciate the hard work of migrants and move toward comprehensive immigration reform with a path to citizenship.
