Following a recent Daily Mail article alleging that White House deputy chief of staff and homeland security advisor Stephen Miller did not care about President Trump’s opinions while running the department, California Governor Gavin Newsom could not help but offer his insight into the situation.
Newsom and Miller have a history of going at each other’s throats, similar to the Governor’s clashes with Trump. Taking to X, Newsom’s press office shared the aforementioned article with the caption, “START THE COUNTDOWN !!! Stephen Miller is going to be fired!”
Keeping true to Newsom’s signature style of mocking or attacking Miller, the post was accompanied with the image of Voldemort, the Harry Potter villain Newsom has previously compared Miller to.
START THE COUNTDOWN !!!
Stephen Miller is going to be fired! https://t.co/XaAcoqHA1H pic.twitter.com/psYEXyOwqz
— Governor Newsom Press Office (@GovPressOffice) March 29, 2026
While there is currently little evidence to examine the accuracy of Newsom’s prediction, it may not have been made without basis. According to insiders, Miller does work the DHS with a tight fist and when it comes to ruthless and problematic immigration politics, he leads the show, much like the former DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, who had also mentioned that she worked on behalf of Trump and Miller.
Not only does Miller have a debatable attitude towards the immigrants in the U.S., he is also allegedly extremely demanding towards DHS and ICE officials, leading to some of them having health issues after working under pressure. ICE Director Todd Lyons was one such example, as the 52-year-old reportedly had to be hospitalized for “stress-related issues” that stemmed from Miller.
He allegedly yelled at Lyons over morning phone calls as four people who were present in those calls mentioned. According to one of the former officials, Lyons would “be visibly upset and struggling to make the decisions that were needed to be made by the director,” which shows how difficult he found to do the things that he needed to do to keep his job.
It should be noted here that Noem’s decisions regarding the ICE and how the agents should behave had been deemed inhumane by even some belonging to the hardcore MAGA base. Now the firing of Noem and appointing Markwayne Mullin at her place does not appear convincing in terms of improving DHS operations given how Miller appears to be running the operation there.
It doesn’t matter whose name is on the door at DHS.
As long as Stephen Miller is calling the shots, we’re going to keep seeing his goon squad racially profiling and harassing Americans in the streets. pic.twitter.com/H0dP8D1Tvi
— Senator Ruben Gallego (@SenRubenGallego) March 19, 2026
Senator Andy Kim (D-N.J.), who had voted for Noem last year for confirming her as the DHS Secretary but would not vote for Mullin explained the situation, saying, “It’s really Stephen Miller that’s calling the shots there. I don’t trust anybody that’s in that role if Stephen Miller’s just going to continue to dictate what happens.”
Previously, sources told Daily Mail that following Good and Pretti’s death at the hands of ICE agents, Miller had tried to push immigration enforcement “force confrontations” with protestors. This led to a senior DHS official bringing some serious allegations against Miller, as he said, “This is why he f—ing needs to be fired. It’s absolutely nuts. He’s the architect of Renee Good and Alex Pretti’s deaths.”
Now, regarding Newsom’s prediction, it is common knowledge by now that the President does not do well with people who try to overstep him regarding any kind of decision. With Miller’s name coming under constant spotlight for the way he is handling DHS and how him defying Trump is also making headlines, it remains to be seen how the President responds.
