Stephen Miller has pledged his “absolute loyalty” to Donald Trump ahead of taking up his role as the new White House chief of staff.
Speaking at Mar-a-Lago, Miller said his first day in the post would be Monday and described the appointment as the greatest honour of his life. He is set to replace Susan Wiles, who is leaving the role.
“It is the honor of my life to be President Trump’s chief of staff,” Miller said. “And I swear to you, and 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.”
Miller also offered an emphatic defence of the president, saying: “Let me tell you, if it wasn’t for President Trump, the United States of America would not exist right now. This man saved America.”
He added that Mr Trump had “taken a bullet for us” and “faced down life in prison for us”, while claiming the president had saved the Republican Party “from the ash heap of history” and made it “stronger, more popular, and more resilient than ever before”.
The remarks came after the Republican Party suffered a major defeat in the midterm elections, losing control of both the House of Representatives and the Senate.
Miller’s appointment follows the departure of Wiles, while Mr Trump has indicated that further changes to his administration could be under consideration. In a preview clip for an interview with 60 Minutes, he said he hoped to make “a few changes”, specifically within his Cabinet.
