President Trump said Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy Stephen Miller is the leading contender to fill the role of national security adviser.
“Stephen Miller is at the top of the totem pole. I think he sort of indirectly already has that job because he has a lot to say about a lot of things. He’s a very valued person in the administration, Stephen,” Mr. Trump told reporters late Sunday aboard Air Force One.
The president added that the timeline to pick a replacement is “within six months.”
Mr. Trump last week removed former National Security Adviser Mike Waltz from the position, nominating him to be the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. He has tapped Secretary of State Marco Rubio to serve as interim national security adviser.
Mr. Miller has been a key player in the Trump administration, helping oversee the president’s immigration crackdown and serving as a homeland security adviser. He was part of the Signal group chat that inadvertently included journalist Jeffrey Goldberg. The mistake led to Mr. Waltz’s ousting as national security adviser.
During the group chat, Mr. Miller was able to control the debate among top Trump officials over plans to attack Houthi rebels threatening ships in the Red Sea.
