#24 Stephen Miller and Rod Rosenstein - All the president's men
One of the few nativists left in the West Wing, Stephen Miller is said to be one of Trump's favorite advisers.
By MICHAEL WILNERRod Rosenstein (right) and Stephen Miller (photo credit: REUTERS FILE PHOTOS)
The man behind US President Donald Trump's controversial policy proposals on legal immigration was the beneficiary of an open system himself.Stephen Miller, a self-described nationalist and former staffer to Jeff Sessions during his Senate days, is the descendant of Russian immigrants who came to America with no knowledge of English.Miller now wants an English test for those applying for entry to the United States within a system that would prioritize "high-skilled labor"– a proposal of concern to many in the American Jewish community, which has historically benefited from a pluralistic interpretation of the American dream.One of the few nativists left in the West Wing, Miller is said to be one of Trump's favorite advisers. A firebrand on the campaign trail who would warm up Trump's crowds with ultra-nationalist speeches, he is the primary author of some of the president's hard-right remarks and policy statements on immigration, making him a critical part of the president's "Make America Great Again" movement.Rod Rosenstein, meanwhile, is a far quieter figure, with a reputation in Washington as a consummate professional attorney far removed from the town's daily politics. His reputation was put to the test earlier this year when Trump fired FBI director James Comey. Days later, Trump openly admitted that Comey's pursuit of an investigation into Russian involvement in Trump's presidential campaign prompted his termination.Rosenstein, the deputy attorney general, was faced with a choice: say nothing or act. Attorney General Sessions had already recused himself from all Russia-related matters due to his failure to disclose meetings with Russian officials during his confirmation hearing. Rosenstein chose to act, appointing a special prosecutor, Robert Mueller III, to take over the inquiry, thus launching a new phase in the landmark probe.
