Senate Democrat demands Trump fire 'creep' Stephen Miller in exchange for his DHS funding vote
A Senate Democrat offered his vote to keep the government open in exchange for a top Trump official’s firing.
Senate Democrats are in the midst of coalescing around a package of restrictions and reforms that they want to impose on the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) as part of their quest to rein in the agency’s powers.
Though there are several bipartisan restrictions baked into the current DHS funding bill, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and his caucus are largely unified in their opposition to the legislation following the fatal shootings of Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti during immigration operations in Minnesota.
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While he and his colleagues work to find the exact guardrails they want to put onto DHS, Sen. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., upped the ante on what it would take to get his vote: firing White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy Stephen Miller, who also serves as Homeland Security advisor to President Donald Trump.
"We all know who’s really running things in this White House," Gallego said in a post on X. "Stephen Miller is the brains behind the most unhinged and depraved policies we’ve seen in generations."
"Americans are tired of his insane, extremist vision for this country," he continued. "It’s time for him to go. Trump needs to fire him. Now. No funding DHS with that creep calling the shots."
Senate Republicans are actively trying to get their colleagues across the aisle to play ball and recognize that negotiating now could make a difference compared to their tactics during the previous government shutdown.
Still, Senate Democrats are furious with Noem and Miller. It remains to be seen whether the pair still having jobs is a determining factor in how Democrats vote.
Miller and DHS Secretary Kristi Noem have both come under scrutiny for their handling of the fatal shootings in Minneapolis, particularly their comments in the aftermath of Pretti’s death, when they labeled him a domestic terrorist.
And while the White House runs damage control on the situation, some Republicans are ready for the duo to go, too.
Sens. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., and Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, either want Noem fired or to resign outright.
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Tillis turned his ire to both Noem and Miller and charged that accusing Pretti of being a domestic terrorist and then relaying that message to Trump was "amateur hour at its finest."
When asked if Noem should be removed from her position, Tillis said, "100%," but stopped short of supporting impeachment, which is gaining momentum among House Democrats.
"I'm not going to get into impeachment," Tillis said. "I think it should be a management decision. She needs to go."
And Murkowski noted that while she voted to confirm Noem, Trump needs to re-examine who "he has in place as the Secretary of Homeland Security."
"I would not support her again, and I think it probably is time for her to step down," she said.