The invisible hand that imposes fear and control in the US

While allies applaud, critics warn: Miller’s extremism threatens human rights, institutions and the American democratic balance

In times of democratic crisis, it is not just the elected leaders who shape the fate of the nations. Sometimes true power lies in the shadows – in the hands of non -elected counselors, radical ideologues and bureaucrats who operate with the coldness of those who believe they are saving a “civilization” in collapse. In the United States of Donald Trump, this figure is Stephen Miller: the strategist behind the throne, the hardline brain, the “prime minister” of a political project that threatens the pillars of American liberal democracy.

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Miller, the White House’s chief of staff in Trump’s second term, is not a new name in US politics. Since 2017, when he helped write the prohibition of entry of citizens from Muslim majority countries and the “zero tolerance” policy that separated thousands of children from his parents on the southern border, he already demonstrated an obsession with punitive, xenophobic and profoundly anti-humanist immigration policies. Today, with Trump back to power, Miller not only returned – he consolidated himself as the central architect of an agenda that seeks not only to govern but punish, marginalize and redefine those who deserve to belong to the nation.

The “dragon” of the far right

Recently, in a memorial to conservative activist Charlie Kirk-murdered in circumstances still under investigation-Miller gave a speech that sounded like an ideological manifesto: “You have no idea of ​​the dragon that awakened,” he said, turning against the “enemies” of the movement Make America Great Again. “You are nothing. You are evil. You are jealous. You are envy. You are hatred.”

These words are not mere rhetorical bravado. They emanate from a man who holds the real power of turning hatred into state policy. Miller not only speaks – he executes. Under its orientation, the Trump government has already sent Marines to the streets of Los Angeles, classified the Democratic Party as an “domestic extremist organization”, and publicly defended the suspension of the you have a bodyone of the oldest constitutional rights that protect citizens against arbitrary arrests.

This authoritarian climb is not accidental. It is deliberate. It is ideological. And is deeply dangerous.

The criminalization machine

Miller built his political career on the systematic criminalization of immigrants. Its focus is not on policies of integration, social justice, or community cohesion – it is creating an internal enemy. During the first Trump administration, he pressured bureaucrats to collect stories of immigrants involved in crimes, even without condemnation, with the explicit goal of “painting this picture that immigrants are dangerous to Americans.” Now, in the second term, this logic has deepened: Immigration agents invade legal hearings to arrest asylum applicants; Latin workers are approached in parking lots; and the government seeks to revoke constitutional right to citizenship by birth.

All of this happens under the pretext of “saving Western civilization” – a narrative that echoes the worst chapters in European history of the twentieth century. Interestingly, Miller is the son of a Jewish family whose ancestors have fled anti -Semitism in Europe. His own uncle, David Glosser, remembered with horror that if Miller’s policies had existed at the beginning of the last century, his family would “climb through the chimneys of crematoriums.” The tragic irony is that Miller today replicates the same logic of exclusion that almost exterminated his own.

The war against institutions

But Miller’s reach goes far beyond immigration. He is the chief strategist of a broader offensive against democratic institutions: universities, law firms, media, cultural organizations. Everything that represents critical thinking, the diversity of ideas or the defense of human rights is seen as a legitimate target. In your world, there is no room for opposition – only for submission or elimination.

This totalitarian view is reflected in the way it operates within the government. Former advisers report that Miller despises protocols, ignores legal advice and acts with an almost messianic urgency. “Let’s just do that,” he said, even in the face of obvious constitutional risks. The result? A record of 25 federal injunctions issued against the Trump administration in the first 100 days of the term – almost seven times more than in the same period as Biden Administration. For Democracy Forward’s Skye Perryman, the explanation is clear: “They seem to be allowing someone who is not a lawyer to lead their legal strategy.”

The normalization of extremism

Perhaps the most alarming in Miller’s rise is the way his extremism was normalized. What was previously considered marginal – the defense of mass deportation without due process, the use of 18th century laws to justify authoritarian measures, the demonization of political opponents such as “enemies of civilization” – is now a government policy. Worse, it is applauded by a base that sees this not a threat to democracy, but a necessary “cleaning”.

Miller’s allies argue that he “reads the electorate” and that his policies have “popular acceptance.” But this is a dangerous fallacy. The popularity of authoritarian measures does not make them legitimate – much less democratic. On the contrary, history shows that authoritarian regimes are often born with popular support, fueled by fear, misinformation and promise of order in times of chaos. Miller knows that. And explores it with mastery.

Resistance is necessary

Given this scenario, resistance is not just a right – it is a duty. Democracy does not defend itself. It needs attentive citizens, strong institutions, free press and organized civil society. The fight against Miller and Trump’s project is not a party struggle – it is a struggle for the soul of the United States.

It is symbolic that, in the same memorial where Miller incited the hatred, the widow of Charlie Kirk chose forgiveness. “The answer to hatred is not hatred,” said Erika Kirk, in a gesture that has profoundly contrasted with the vindictive rhening of the presidential counselor. His speech was a powerful reminder: the civilization that Miller says he wants to save is not sustained by force, but by empathy; not by exclusion, but by inclusion; Not for fear, but for hope.

Stephen Miller may be the “king’s hand,” but kings fall – and the hands that support them as well. History will rigorously judge those who, in the name of a false national purity, have tried to erase diversity, justice and humanity that make the United States – or should do – a liberty of freedom for the world.

In the meantime, it is up to us all to make sure this headlight does not go out.

With information from Financial Times*