Ex-Sessions aide to be Trump senior policy aide

by Ben Kamisar - 12/13/16 5:01 PM ET

President-elect Donald Trump has appointed top aide Stephen Miller to be assistant to the president and senior adviser for policy.

The appointment marks the latest step in the rapid ascent of Miller, a trusted advisor of immigration hardliner Sen. Jeff Sessions. The Alabama Republican was one of the earliest lawmakers to embrace Trump, and is the president-elect’s pick for attorney general.

Miller moved to the campaign as a senior policy adviser in late January, before a single vote had been cast in the GOP primary.

{mosads}“Stephen played a central and wide-ranging role in our primary and general election campaign,” Trump said in a statement announcing the hire.

“He is deeply committed to the America First agenda, and understands the policies and actions necessary to put that agenda into effect. He is a strong advocate for protecting American workers, and will fulfill a crucial role in my Administration as my senior advisor on matters of policy.”

In Trump’s White House, the former Senate aide will play a key role in formulating and executing Trump’s policies, as well as writing the president’s speeches.

“I am deeply honored for the opportunity to serve the President-elect, and to focus efforts to develop critical policies that serve the national interest,” Miller said in a statement.

“A Trump administration will focus unremittingly on the safety, security and economic well being of working Americans.”

Miller helped spearhead Sessions’s work in the Senate on illegal immigration. As a presidential candidate, Trump readily embraced Sessions’s views on the issues.

He also became a well-known face among Trump supporters as a regular “pre-show” act, speaking to the crowd at campaign rallies before the main event.

Tags Donald Trump Jeff Sessions