White House Claps Back After Hakeem Jeffries Calls Stephen Miller a ‘Hateful Bigot’ [WATCH]

The White House sharply criticized House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries this week after the New York Democrat labeled Stephen Miller a “hateful bigot,” prompting a forceful response from administration officials defending Miller’s role in President Donald Trump’s immigration and border security agenda, as reported by Fox News.

Jeffries made the remarks in a post on Wednesday on X, accusing Miller, who serves as the White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy and a key Homeland Security advisor, of being responsible for what he described as “violence and brutality” carried out by the Department of Homeland Security.

“Stephen Miller is one of the malignant architects of the violence and brutality DHS has unleashed on the American people,” Jeffries wrote.

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“He slandered hero nurse Alex Pretti as a would-be assassin. Why is this hateful bigot still Donald Trump’s chief immigration adviser?”

Stephen Miller is one of the malignant architects of the violence and brutality DHS has unleashed on the American people.

He slandered hero nurse Alex Pretti as a would-be assassin.

Why is this hateful bigot still Donald Trump’s chief immigration adviser?

— Hakeem Jeffries (@RepJeffries) January 28, 2026

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The White House responded swiftly. In a statement provided to Fox News Digital, White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson dismissed Jeffries’ claims and criticized his rhetoric.

“Hakeem Jeffries is a buffoon who has repeatedly lied about and smeared federal law enforcement officers, including inciting violence against them by encouraging his supporters to ‘fight’ President Trump’s agenda ‘in the streets,’” Jackson said. “No one should take anything he says seriously.”

WATCH: House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries calls for violence as he says people must “fight” President Trump’s agenda “in the streets.” pic.twitter.com/ZEEkhtIGbZ

— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) January 31, 2025

A senior official with the Department of Homeland Security also weighed in, telling Fox News Digital that Miller has played a central role in implementing the Trump administration’s immigration policies.

“Stephen Miller has been instrumental in delivering on the President’s agenda,” the DHS official said.

“At neck-breaking speed, President Trump has achieved the most secure border in American history — Stephen has been a lynchpin in those efforts.”

The official added that Miller’s work continues to drive the administration’s enforcement priorities.

“His passion, patriotism, and persistence helps fuel this administration in our efforts to carry out the largest deportation of criminal illegal aliens in the history of our republic,” the official said.

The exchange follows heightened tensions surrounding immigration enforcement as the Trump administration continues a nationwide crackdown on illegal immigration, emphasizing border security and the removal of criminal illegal aliens.

The controversy also comes in the wake of a fatal shooting in Minneapolis, where Alex Pretti, a U.S. citizen, was shot and killed on Saturday.

The incident became part of the broader political dispute after Miller commented on the case in a post on X.

“A would-be assassin tried to murder federal law enforcement, and the official Democrat account sides with the terrorists,” Miller wrote in a Saturday post.

A would-be assassin tried to murder federal law enforcement and the official Democrat account sides with the terrorists. https://t.co/UCFCE5p5J1

— Stephen Miller (@StephenM) January 24, 2026

Jeffries’ reference to Pretti in his criticism of Miller drew immediate pushback from administration officials, who accused Democratic leaders of mischaracterizing law enforcement actions and undermining federal officers amid ongoing enforcement operations.

The back-and-forth highlights the increasingly confrontational tone between Democratic leadership in Congress and the Trump White House as immigration enforcement remains a central issue heading into the next phase of the administration’s agenda.

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