The Greedy Hubris Of A Repulsive Creep
More Americans—and elected Republicans—should know what’s up with this psycho.
This is a rare essay for congressional Republicans, in the unlikely event that any of them happen upon it—perhaps now that their dirty work has federal agents manhandling senators, they’ll spend a few hours outside their bubble.
It could double as a suggestion to congressional Democrats to make more Americans familiar with Stephen Miller.
But mainly it’s for Republicans.
Donald Trump of course bears ultimate responsibility for his administration’s unconcealed efforts to create civil unrest. And to the extent that unrest provides him more opportunities to bluster ominously, or consolidate power, he relishes it.
But Miller is the author of the strategy, which serves two purposes: to titillate him, personally, and to lay groundwork for yet more intoxicating barbarism.
Miller’s the one who wants ICE agents chasing farm workers through cabbage fields; who derives quasi-erotic joy from things like this White House video, which created ASMR from the sounds Latinos make when they’re marching in chains.
He’s a sadist, but not in any fun way—a maladjusted individual with the temperament of Buffalo Bill, who’s setting federal policy to satisfy his personal compulsions. And I wonder to what extent congressional Republicans realize that the things they’re doing, and abetting, and being asked to sanction aren’t the brainchildren of their true leader, but of Miller, one of the most unlikeable people to ever afflict American politics.
As little as I think of the character of congressional Republicans, I do think it’s worth confronting them with the fact that the precipitating events of the past week—not tough-guy schtick military deployments, which are all Trump, but the violent roundups of defenseless manual laborers—don’t reflect Trump’s political instincts, which they trust. They reflect Miller’s fetishes, which should make them feel dirty.
It should also give them second thoughts about the only significant piece of legislation they will vote on—a bill that would be a total orphan if it wasn’t written to provide Miller personal pleasure.