Stephen Miller, senior adviser to President Donald Trump, engaged in a heated exchange with CNN’s Brianna Keilar on Tuesday, sparring over the administration’s efforts to crack down on illegal immigrants using fraudulent tax claims.
Keilar questioned Miller about whether the administration was actively investigating IRS data to uncover cases of illegal immigrants receiving tax benefits. Miller made it clear that any fraud discovered would be reported to authorities and handled according to the law.
Hi. Want to see a murder on live TV?
I give you White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller vs. generic CNN Karen.
CNN Karen complains that the White House is prosecuting Illegal Aliens who commit tax fraud.
Then, Fatality… pic.twitter.com/l0jC8WoRNq
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) February 18, 2025
“Any time a crime is committed, of course there should be an investigation,” Miller said, arguing that taxpayer dollars should not be used to fund illegal activity. Keilar attempted to press for further details, but Miller fired back, demanding to know why the media was not more focused on the scale of the fraud.
🚨 OH. MY. GOSH. CNN just got nuked live on air.
TRUMP OFFICIAL STEPHEN MILLER: I understand that even a temporary interruption in federal employment is a great crisis and catastrophe for you and CNN. But what the American people see is a government finally delivering… pic.twitter.com/J625N89W9E
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) February 18, 2025
As tensions escalated, Miller highlighted the widespread use of fake Social Security numbers by illegal immigrants, calling it a felony offense that needed to be prosecuted. He insisted that those responsible should not be given special protections simply because they are in the country illegally.
Keilar repeatedly tried to redirect the conversation, but Miller remained firm, stating that the Trump administration would not allow illegal immigrants to exploit taxpayer-funded benefits. He added that stopping fraud would help provide more jobs and resources for American citizens.
The interview ended with Miller challenging CNN’s coverage of the issue, stating that no one should be above the law and that he was surprised at the network’s approach to the discussion.
