Stephen Miller, deputy White House chief of policy and a prominent architect of the Trump administration's hardline immigration agenda, drew widespread ridicule after a social media post about watching a vintage Christmas TV special with his children.
On X (formerly Twitter), Miller wrote that he had “Watched the Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra Family Christmas with my kids,” adding that people should not watch it and conclude “America needed infinity migrants from the third world.”
“Watched the Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra Family Christmas with my kids. Imagine watching that and thinking America needed infinity migrants from the third world.”
Users across the political spectrum quickly pointed out the irony: both Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin were the sons (and in Martin’s case, the grandson) of Italian immigrants. Critics used the moment to underline the contradiction between celebrating performers with immigrant roots and arguing against immigration.
National Review writer Dan McLaughlin replied on X, noting the singers' family backgrounds: “Sinatra: son of two Italian immigrants. Martin: son of an Italian immigrant, grandson of another.” Former GOP congressman and outspoken anti‑Trump commentator Joe Walsh was harsher, calling Miller’s comment bigoted and advising him to reconsider his posture.
“Imagine watching the Dean Martin & Frank Sinatra Family Christmas from yrs ago and even thinking about brown & black immigrants today... Hey @StephenM, you got issues. Get some help. Grow up, get a life, and stop with all your hate & bigotry.”
The exchange renewed scrutiny of Miller's role leading the administration's deportation and immigration-enforcement initiatives, and it prompted broader conversations online about America’s immigrant history and the cultural contributions of immigrant families.
Whether read as a political gaffe or a revealing moment of hypocrisy, the episode highlights how quickly a lighthearted family post can become a flashpoint in the polarized debate over immigration policy.
