Stephen Miller Calls To Rebuild DOJ With 'Patriots,' Comparing Plan To DHS ICE Hiring

Deputy White House Chief of Staff Stephen Miller told The Charlie Kirk Show that he wants to repopulate the Department of Justice with lawyers who describe themselves as "pro‑American patriots," arguing personnel changes should take precedence over immediate policy wins.

On the program, Miller — 40 — compared his proposal for the Justice Department to the Department of Homeland Security's large‑scale hiring for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). "One of the most important things we can do as a movement is like [what they did] at DHS, hiring 10,000 new ICE officers," he said. "In so doing that, you’re hiring 10,000 new, pro‑American patriots... We need young patriots with law degrees to choose a career with the Department of Justice."

Miller said the

Host Drew Hernandez asked about the administration's effort to trace alleged funding behind demonstrations that Miller described as organized by "communist front groups" and "militia thugs." Miller said the Justice Department had made what he called "enormous progress" mapping a purported left‑wing funding network but blamed entrenched "deep state" personnel inside DOJ for why that funding has not yet been publicly exposed.

"In the interest of transparency, there was a study that was done in 2016, and it said that for all the employees at the DOJ who had a recorded political donation, that 98% went to Hillary Clinton," Miller said, apparently referencing a widely cited 2016 analysis that found an overwhelming share — roughly 95% in some summaries — of recorded political donations from federal employees at the time favored Hillary Clinton.

Miller framed the staff overhaul as a corrective to what he described as activism inside DOJ: "The greatest challenge that the administration has had with respect to the Department of Justice... is how thoroughly the Department of Justice at every level was infiltrated by deep state actors and activists." He argued that conservative movements have historically emphasized policy over personnel, and that this should change.

Miller looked to ICE as a model of how to remake the DOJ. / Aaron Schwartz / Aaron Schwartz/Getty Images

Observers note that the proposal echoes earlier efforts by former President Donald Trump and his allies to place political loyalists in the Justice Department. The article pointed to an example in which Trump appointed his former attorney, Lindsey Halligan, to pursue legal actions against political opponents; those particular cases were later dismissed by Federal Judge Cameron McGowan Currie, a Clinton appointee.

Context and Reactions

Supporters of Miller's approach say that personnel decisions shape long‑term enforcement priorities and are therefore essential to lasting policy change. Critics warn that wholesale staffing initiatives organized around political loyalty risk politicizing the Justice Department and could undermine the appearance — and reality — of impartial law enforcement.

The remarks come amid broader debate about the role of political allegiance in federal agencies and follow other high‑profile claims from administration officials, including unverified suggestions from Vice President J.D. Vance about left‑wing networks in connection with the death of Renee Good.

Whether Miller's proposal moves beyond rhetoric will depend on personnel decisions, confirmation battles, and legal and political pushback. For now, his comments open a debate about balance: how to ensure loyalty to the Constitution and the rule of law without turning the Department of Justice into a partisan instrument.