rump names Stephen Miller as top candidate for next national security adviser

Rump names Stephen Miller as top candidate for next national security adviser

While speaking with reporters aboard Air Force One on Sunday evening, President Donald Trump said he's considering tapping White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller to be the next national security adviser.

“Stephen Miller's at the top of the totem pole,” Trump said. "I mean, I think he sort of, indirectly, already has that job, you understand, because he has a lot to say about a lot of things. He's a very valued person in the administration, Stephen.”

 House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller speaks to reporters during a press briefing at the White House in Washington, May 1, 2025.

Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters

Trump also defended his decision to remove Mike Waltz from the role and nominate him to be the U.S. ambassador to the U.N.

"I actually think it's a higher position, if you want to know the truth," Trump said of Waltz's new nomination. "I think it's an upgrade."

Trump said his official nomination for the next national security adviser would come "within six months."