Stephen Miller's past criticism of India's Russian oil purchases and trade policies is part of the record he brings to the White House chief of staff role, which President Donald Trump announced Nov. 6.
Trump said Miller would start Monday, Nov. 9, after announcing Miller's appointment as White House chief of staff.
NDTV reported that Miller objected to India's imports of Russian crude in 2025, calling them “not acceptable.” He alleged that the purchases helped bankroll Russia's war in Ukraine and claimed India's buying was comparable with China's.
He also accused New Delhi of imposing what he called “massive tariffs” on U.S. goods and of “cheating” the U.S. immigration system, NDTV reported. The outlet said Miller also pointed to trade imbalances and restrictions on U.S. products.
NDTV summarized India's response to U.S. threats as a decision to maintain its Russian crude imports. Miller has also spoken favorably about Trump's relationship with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, describing it as “a tremendous relationship with India,” the outlet reported.
In its account of the 2026 midterms, NDTV contrasted several Indian-American Democrats winning seats with greater openness to Republicans among Indian Americans during the 2024 presidential campaign. The outlet said Republican losses prompted questions over whether Trump's policies could have eroded his support among Indian Americans.
NDTV also reported that Miller had pressed for tighter immigration rules, including limits affecting skilled foreign workers and H-1B visas. It described him as an early Republican advocate of immigration restrictions, when that position was less common within the party.
NDTV traced Miller's work with Trump to the 2016 campaign. He later served as an adviser and speechwriter during Trump's first term. After Trump's 2020 election loss, Miller founded America First Legal, a conservative advocacy group. In Trump's second term, he served as deputy chief of staff and homeland security adviser before the chief-of-staff appointment.
