Stephen Miller, the White House deputy chief of staff for policy, sparked widespread backlash after posting on social media about watching a classic Christmas television special with his children and using it to criticize immigration.
Miller wrote on X on December 26, 2025, that he watched the Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra Family Christmas show with his kids. “Imagine watching that and thinking America needed infinity migrants from the third world,” Miller wrote in the post.
Critics quickly pointed out the irony of Miller’s remarks, noting that both Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra were children of Italian immigrants.
Jon Favreau, a former speechwriter for President Barack Obama, directly challenged Miller’s post. “You’re only here because America decided to welcome your family when they were refugees fleeing poverty and violence,” Favreau said in response.
Miller himself is descended from Jewish immigrants. His great-great-grandfather, Wolf Laib Glosser, fled persecution in the Russian empire and arrived at Ellis Island in 1903 from Antopol. The family subsequently built successful businesses in the United States.
The criticism intensified when Miller posted a late-night rant about what he described as “self-loathing” America. In the post made 1 day ago, Miller questioned why the modern world doesn’t match what “our ancestors imagined,” blaming what he called a vast, consuming project of self-loathing, self-denigration and the redistribution of national resources to the states and peoples of the undeveloped world.
Journalist Mehdi Hasan told Miller to “learn to use Google,” pointing out that Dr. Farouk El-Baz, an Egyptian-American scientist, helped with the Apollo program that Miller referenced in his posts.
Multiple social media users noted the contributions immigrants have made to American technological advancement and innovation, directly contradicting Miller’s assertions. They pointed out that immigrants and their descendants have been central to American progress in multiple industries.
Alisa Kasmer, Miller’s cousin, blasted his immigration policies. Kasmer told The New Republic that Miller is trying to take away the exact thing that his own family benefited from: that ability to create a life for themselves, to prosper, to build community, to have successful businesses—to live a rewarding life.
Sarah Longwell, a Republican strategist, called Miller’s brain “broken” and said he has a “groove that only thinks about immigrants” during a podcast discussion about his Christmas posts.
Miller has been criticized for anti-immigrant remarks throughout his career in politics. In his social media posts 3 days ago, he also suggested that America had “negative migration” during a crucial period of technological advancement, claiming this contributed to American innovation.
The controversy extended beyond Miller’s Christmas viewing habits. He has praised the 1924 Immigration Act, which restricted immigration from Southern and Eastern Europe—the same regions his own ancestors came from when they sought refuge in America. The 1924 law was designed to dramatically reduce immigration from countries like Italy, where Sinatra and Martin’s families originated.
The classic television special Miller referenced featured the two legendary entertainers and their families celebrating Christmas together in 1967. Both performers achieved extraordinary success in America and became cultural icons, embodying the immigrant success story that has long been part of American history.
Critics noted that Miller’s family history directly contradicts his current political positions. His Jewish ancestors fled persecution and poverty in Eastern Europe, seeking the same opportunities that Miller now seeks to deny to others through his role shaping immigration policy in the White House.
The backlash highlighted a broader debate about immigration and American identity. Many respondents to Miller’s posts emphasized that immigrants have been fundamental to American innovation, prosperity, and cultural achievement throughout the nation’s history.
As deputy chief of staff for policy, Miller serves as one of the most influential figures in the Trump administration’s approach to immigration enforcement. His posts during the holiday season revealed his continued focus on immigration issues even during family time, sparking questions about his worldview and its influence on policy.
The incident underscored ongoing tensions over immigration policy in American politics, with Miller’s personal social media activity becoming a flashpoint for broader debates about who belongs in America and what role immigrants play in the nation’s past, present, and future.