White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy Stephen Miller joined CNN’s News Central on Tuesday, engaging in a tense exchange with anchor Brianna Keilar over the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and the Trump administration’s efforts to reduce the size of the federal government.
Miller appeared on the program to discuss DOGE’s recent initiatives, but the conversation quickly became contentious as Keilar repeatedly questioned who was in charge of the agency, despite Miller’s clear explanations.
Keilar began the segment by asking, “Who is in charge of DOGE?”
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Miller, unable to contain his laughter, pointed out what he believed to be an obvious answer: “Trump is in charge of DOGE.”
Despite this response, Keilar pressed for more details, asking, “He’s the administrator of DOGE?”
Miller proceeded to explain the agency’s structure, clarifying how DOGE operates within the federal government.
“No, DOGE is what was formerly U.S. Digital Services. It’s an agency in the federal government that reports to the Executive Office of the President, which reports to the President of the United States,” Miller stated.
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He continued, “A president wins an election and appoints staff… and those staff report to him.”
Keilar then played a clip of Elon Musk at the White House last week, where he spoke about the transparency of DOGE. She followed up with another question:
“Does Elon Musk know he is not in charge of DOGE?”
Miller again reiterated how the executive branch operates, but Keilar interrupted, demanding to know who was making personnel decisions within federal agencies, specifically citing terminations at the Department of Energy (DOE).
Miller clarified that these decisions were made by the department’s head, “Energy Secretary Chris Wright, because that’s his department.”
Keilar then attempted to frame the Trump administration’s restructuring efforts as a misstep, prompting Miller to push back.
“I understand that even a temporary interruption in federal employment is a great crisis,” Miller responded, laughing. “A catastrophe for you and for CNN.”
Pivoting to the issue of government spending, Miller then challenged Keilar on the Biden administration’s handling of taxpayer money.
“You want to have a conversation about transparency? Let me ask you a question: Do you have any idea where the $22 billion the Health and Human Services provided to illegal aliens under Joe Biden is right now?” Miller asked. “That’s 22 billion with a B.”
He continued, highlighting the scale of the expenditure:
“That’s enough to provide a house to every homeless veteran in America… Where is it? You don’t know…. Joe Biden just spent it and now it’s GONE.”
JUST IN: Stephen Miller starts laughing at CNN’s Brianna Keilar while explaining to her how the government works as if she’s a child.
“I understand that even a temporary interruption in federal employment is a great crisis, a catastrophe for you and for CNN.”
“What the American… pic.twitter.com/omyJJXn6Gu
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) February 18, 2025
The interview underscored the sharp divide between the Trump administration’s push for government efficiency and the media’s scrutiny over its implementation.
As DOGE continues to lead efforts to streamline federal agencies, debates over accountability and government spending are likely to remain at the forefront.
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