Stephen Miller and Jake Tapper crossed swords on Monday over U.S. foreign policy in Venezuela and Greenland, with the White House deputy chief of staff for policy and homeland security yelling and accusing the CNN anchor of doing “that smarmy thing” for repeatedly pressing him on the Trump Administration’s next steps.
The fiery throwdown began with Tapper asking Miller about an X post from the Trump advisor’s wife Katie Miller, whose suggested over the weekend that Greenland would soon be U.S. territory.
“The Danish prime minister responded to this in an interview today,” Tapper said. “Can you rule out that the U.S. is ever going to try to take Greenland by force?”
“So I know you’re treating this as breaking news,” a visibly flustered Miller said.”The president has been clear for months now that the United States should be the nation that has Greenland as part of our overall security apparatus – “
“But your wife posted that like hours after the Venezuela operation,” Tapper interrupted. “That’s why it’s newly relevant.”
Miller acknowledged that the Greenland question is “a really important conversation” but reiterated that “that has been the formal position of the U.S. government since the beginning of this administration — frankly, going back into the previous Trump administration — that Greenland should be part of the United States.”
Tapper put a finer point on it: “But can you say that military action against Greenland is off the table?”
Miller made light of the inquiry line, suggesting that Denmark – the arctic island’s off-and-on administrator since roughly the 16th century – has no right to assert control over Greenland, which has a population of 30,000 people and is largely self-governed.
“The United States is the power of NATO, for the United States to secure the Arctic region, to protect and defend NATO and NATO interests,” Miller said. “Obviously, Greenland should be part of the United States, and so that’s a conversation that we’re going to have as a country. That’s a process we’re going to have as a new community of nations.”
Tapper pressed the “military force” question a final time, and Miller’s voice went up another octave.
“Jake, I understand you’re trying very hard to — which, which, again, is your job. I respect it. It’s great to get exactly the headline right, that catchy headline, to get an answer that says Miller refuses to rule out military force.”
Then Miller went on to suggest that “nobody’s going to fight the United States militarily over the future of Greenland.”
Watch the full exchange in the video below:
But the fireworks show had not yet reached the finale – Tapper then turned to Venezuela, challenging Miller on Trump’s assertion that María Corina Machado, a Venezuelan opposition leader and prominent critic of the now-deposed Nicolás Maduro, doesn’t have the support to become the next president or the interim leader.
“It would be absurd and preposterous for us to suddenly fly her into the country and to put her in charge,” Miller responded. “The military would follow her, and the security forces would follow her? This isn’t — this is not a serious — it’s not even a serious question.”
Tapper asked whether Venezuela should hold elections instead.
Miller didn’t answer directly at first, asserting: “The United States is using its military to secure our interests unapologetically in our hemisphere. We’re a superpower, and under President Trump, we are going to conduct ourselves as a superpower.”
Miller also said the post World War II period of the West “apologizing and groveling and begging” was over, telling Tapper: “I know you love doing that smarmy thing, Jake, and I was hoping you’d be better than this.”
Flatly, Tapper said, “I asked you about if there should be an election.”
The volleys continued for awhile, which you can watch for yourself in the video below:
