Donald Trump's first White House chief of staff, Reince Priebus, lasted only half a year. For his second term, Trump appointed Susie Wiles, a behind-the-scenes manager. Following Republican midterm losses, Trump replaced Wiles with Stephen Miller, a devoted consigliere and attack dog.
Forty years after Roy Cohn's death, Trump found his ideological successor. Both Cohn and Miller came from privileged backgrounds and rebelled against their roots. Cohn, son of a Bronx judge, served as chief counsel to Senator Joe McCarthy, targeting Communists and orchestrating the Rosenbergs' execution.
Miller, son of a Santa Monica lawyer, taunted Latino students and became a protégé of David Horowitz. Both men oppose diversity initiatives. Cohn infamously declared he would not be operated on by a Black doctor with lower marks.
Miller has demanded to know when racism against white people became acceptable. Cohn led witch hunts against gay government employees and suspected Communists. Miller architects witch hunts against illegal immigrants.
Closest to Trump, Miller follows Cohn's playbook of aggressive defiance, sharing his hooded-eye scowls and snarling demeanor. Trump values absolute loyalty, a trait Cohn demonstrated with mafia clients like Anthony 'Fat Tony' Salerno and John Gotti. Miller has shown similar fealty, enabling Trump's worst instincts despite the president's isolation.
Source: New York Times Top Stories · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing