Who is Stephen Miller? Donald Trump may tap Deputy Chief of Staff for NSA role

US President Donald Trump said he is considering naming Stephen Miller as the National Security Adviser (NSA), succeeding Mike Waltz. The US President said he expects to fill the job within about six months.

Trump had ousted Waltz on Thursday and named Secretary of State Marco Rubio to the position on an interim basis. Rubio will serve as both the US secretary of state and national security adviser for a minimum of six months.

However, US officials say they expect Trump to be in no hurry to fill the job permanently. “I'm going to be naming somebody,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One on Sunday.

Why was Mike Waltz ousted?

Mike Waltz was ousted after a scandal erupted over his creation of a Signal group to share real-time updates on US military action in Yemen.

The chat drew particular attention because Waltz, or someone using his account, accidentally added a prominent journalist, Jeffrey Goldberg, to the group.

The revelation that Waltz was using TeleMessage, which appears to have a similar interface and functionality as Signal, has only heightened the concerns over the security of his communications.

Who is Stephen Miller?

Stephen Miller is currently the deputy chief of staff for Trump.

He was a central figure in shaping the Trump administration's immigration policies, including the controversial family separation policy at the US-Mexico border and the travel ban targeting several Muslim-majority countries.

Miller was part of a Signal group accident that led to Waltz's ouster. In that discussion, he effectively shut down debate among top officials over Trump’s plans to attack Houthi rebels threatening Red Sea shipping lanes.

Talking about the likelihood of Miller taking over as the US NSA, Trump said, “I think he sort of indirectly already has that job. Because he has a lot to say about a lot of things.”

“He's a very valued person in the administration, Stephen,” he added.

Who are the other contenders in the race to replace Mike Waltz?

Steve Witkoff

According to media reports, Steve Witkoff is among the top contenders to succeed Waltz, having swiftly built a broad portfolio as Donald Trump’s preferred international negotiator.

The billionaire real estate investor was appointed by Trump as his special envoy to the Middle East. Since then, he has taken on key diplomatic roles, serving as the primary interlocutor with Russian President Vladimir Putin regarding the war in Ukraine and leading preliminary negotiations with Iran over its nuclear program.

Ric Grenell

Ric Grenell, Trump’s envoy for special missions, currently serves as the interim executive director of the Kennedy Center.

Despite his low profile in the past months, Grenell played a role in securing the January release of six American hostages from Venezuela.

During Trump’s first term, he held several high-level posts, including acting director of national intelligence, ambassador to Germany, and special envoy for Serbia and Kosovo.

Michael Anton

Michael Anton has emerged as an online favourite in MAGA circles to replace Waltz, according to Politico. He was recently tapped to lead technical talks with Iran on its nuclear program.

Anton, currently the State Department’s policy planning director, was in the Vatican last weekend during Trump’s meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Sebastian Gorka

Sebastian Gorka, a veteran of Trump’s first term, is also seen as a possible contender.

Gorka was appointed deputy assistant to the president and senior director for counterterrorism last November. He has long advised Trump on counterterrorism and national security issues.

(With agency inputs)