Stephen Miller, Donald Trump’s former top adviser, will testify before the commission on January 6 today, according to a source familiar with the matter.
Miller’s reported collaboration is further evidence that the House of Representatives investigation into the Capitol Rebellion is on the doorstep of Trump’s Oval Office, following the daughter and son-in-law of former President Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner and two former senior White House councilors. , gave their own testimony in recent weeks.
According to two other sources quoted by the Associated Press, it is unclear whether Miller will appear in person or in practice before the nine-member bipartisan commission.
However, the fact that he is appearing at all is a significant development and probably another serious blow to Trump’s efforts to hide information about his movement on the day of the uprising and subsequent efforts to cancel the presidential election he lost to Joe Biden.
Miller, considered Trump’s top aide for his entire term, vehemently opposed previous efforts to get him to testify after receiving a summons in November. At the time, Benny Thompson, the Mississippi Democrat who chairs the committee, said Miller had been “involved in spreading false information about alleged voter fraud,” at the heart of Trump’s big lie that his election defeat was fraudulent.
How cooperative Miller will be on the testimony he has to offer remains to be seen. Miller’s decision to appear was probably prompted by a vote in the House of Representatives last week to disregard former Trump advisers Peter Navarro and Dan Scavino for refusing to carry out their own summons.
Miller’s testimony – if he cooperates – may be some of the most valuable and convincing evidence the Jan. 6 investigation has gathered so far for Trump’s involvement in the deadly riot.
Miller has always been on Trump’s side throughout his administration, an extremely loyal and focused character, considered the mastermind of some of the most controversial and harsh policies he has pursued.
An extremist known for his white nationalist and far-right views, Miller was central to almost every decision the former president made while in power, as well as to the ultra-tough immigration policies Trump would likely adopt if he won a second term.
It is this loyalty to his old boss and to Trumpism itself that makes analysts wonder if Miller will actually be imminent or will he refer to the Fifth Amendment interrogation instead. There is already speculation that Miller’s consent to appear – which neither he nor the commission have yet confirmed – is simply an exercise in avoiding the fate of Scavino and Navarro.
Miller’s appearance tightened the commission’s focus in the final stages of its investigation on Trump’s inner circle, which loudly spread the big lie that his defeat in the 2020 election was deceptive. The former president’s actions on the day of the uprising and beyond have been scrutinized, with the latest revelation that the calls he made on January 6th hidden from the official diary.
The investigation also looked at an illegal scheme allegedly pushed by Trump and his supporters to raise fake voters to overturn Joe Biden’s victory in the electoral college.
The panel said it is likely to hold public hearings this spring and a report is expected ahead of this year’s by-elections. Polls show Republicans are in a strong position to win a majority in the House, with most observers now saying they would halt the investigation if it continued.
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