Stephen Miller reportedly said he 'would be happy if not a single refugee foot ever again touched America's soil'

An excerpt from a former White House staffer's new tell-all book includes a stunning quote attributed to senior adviser Stephen Miller.

In his book Team of Vipers, former aide Cliff Sims writes that he was concerned about the fact that President Trump "totally lacked nuance" in his refugee policy and was not doing enough to help "persecuted Christians," reports The Atlantic, which obtained a copy of the book ahead of its publication. But Sims says that when he raised this issue to Miller, he responded, "I would be happy if not a single refugee foot ever again touched America’s soil.”

Miller has been largely responsible for the administration's push to reduce the number of refugees accepted into the United States every year, Politico reports. The refugee cap is down to 45,000, compared to the 110,000 maximum set by former President Barack Obama's administration.

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

Sims also describes Miller as someone who has stayed in the White House all this time by back-stabbing and playing both sides, such as when he spoke to Trump about former chief strategist Stephen Bannon. “Your polling numbers are actually very strong considering Steve won't stop leaking to the press and trying to undermine Jared [Kushner]," Miller reportedly said. "If Steve wasn't doing that, I bet you'd be ten points higher." Bannon, who reportedly thought of Miller as his "protege," departed the White House in August 2017, while Miller has remained since the administration's first days. Read more at The Atlantic.