Republican Rep. Marlin Stutzman of Indiana said Sunday that President Donald Trump made “a bad mistake” by promoting Stephen Miller to White House chief of staff after the party’s heavy losses in last week’s midterm elections.
“If your team takes a beating as badly as we took this last week, you have to fire people,” Stutzman said on CNN’s “Inside Politics Sunday.” “You don’t promote those who are, who were in charge of what was supposed to be delivered.”
Trump named Miller to the top White House job on Friday, replacing Susie Wiles, who resigned after Republicans lost control of Congress. Miller has been the architect of the administration’s immigration crackdown.
Stutzman said Stephen Miller style had hurt the party with voters.
He’s not liked out here in the Midwest by people. They don’t like his tone,” he said.
It was not the first time he spoke out. At a post-election luncheon at the Allen County Republican Party headquarters in Fort Wayne, he said Miller “should be fired.” When asked about the promotion, his office called it a “horrible decision.”
Stutzman, who represents northern Indiana, won another term on Tuesday, but his share of the vote dropped from 65% in 2024 to under 55%. Republicans lost dozens of House seats nationwide, including one in Indiana.
He said the party should let results speak for themselves. “Let our playing do the talking rather than going out and bashing on people that don’t need to be bashed on,” he said.
Stutzman is one of several Republican lawmakers who have criticized the choice.
Miller takes over as chief of staff on Monday, Nov. 9.