“I will work with anybody, I will bow to nobody,” Maryland Governor Wes Moore declared during the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s B20 Summit.
Moore stated on Tuesday that he is willing to engage in bipartisan negotiations with incoming White House chief of staff Stephen Miller, despite holding a “well of distrust” regarding the aide’s history.
The governor, viewed as a potential 2028 Democratic presidential candidate, told Politico that he intends to prioritize his state’s needs while maintaining his political independence. While Moore described Miller as the architect of policies he considers “racist, xenophobic, [and] homophobic,” he argued there remains a narrow window to secure positive outcomes for his jurisdiction.
Stephen Miller, a 41-year-old ideologue who was previously dubbed “the prime minister” by longtime aides, co-founded the conservative non-profit America First Legal after the 2020 election to focus on dismantling DEI and immigration enforcement. White House spokesperson Lauren Bis noted that Miller has “spearheaded the administration’s crime crackdown including in D.C. and Memphis, record setting deregulation, unleashed American energy, dismantled drug cartels, and secured our border.”
[Trump makes hardliner Stephen Miller his chief of staff after midterm defeat] “Elevating Miller, who is known for being caustic and uncompromising, could signal a more confrontational approach with Congress“https://t.co/92EqSi3B3C””
The shift in leadership comes as the administration faces criticism over its immigration enforcement. Currently, 58% of voters believe the administration’s enforcement efforts have gone too far.
Democrats are preparing to use their new control of Congress to launch oversight investigations into the administration’s immigration strategy. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries condemned the appointment on X, calling Miller a “dangerous xenophobe” and stating, “His presence in government should be eradicated like a malignant tumor.”
“Appointing Stephen Miller as White House chief of staff send one clear message: Trump hasn’t learned a thing from the Republicans’ midterm wipeout,” the group tweeted.
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