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Stephen Miller Could Replace The Mooch As White House Communications Director — REPORT

by Alex Gladu
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It's been about one week since renegade White House Communications Director Anthony Scaramucci left his executive branch job last Monday, and as of Sunday morning, a replacement had not been named. A name must be coming soon, though, as rumors about the top-tier White House job have begun to swirl. Among them, reports that Stephen Miller may be White House communications director highlight the Trump advisor's conservative past.

Miller already holds a prominent position in the White House. As a senior policy advisor, Miller's ideology wouldn't be a new addition to the Oval Office. As it turns out, his words wouldn't be new to the president's dialogue, either. Miller is believed to have written many important documents for President Trump, including Trump's inaugural address and the notorious travel ban. Miller also reportedly wrote many of Trump's campaign speeches, including his address to the 2016 Republican National Convention. In his speechwriting role, Miller penned such Trumpian phrases as, "The forgotten men and women of our country will be forgotten no longer," and, "This American carnage stops right here and stops right now," both of which came from the president's inauguration speech.

Miller's conservative writing didn't begin on the campaign trail. According to The Telegraph, Miller wrote conservatively for student newspapers in both high school and college. He attended Santa Monica High School in California and Duke University in Durham, North Carolina.

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Referencing the Duke lacross scandal, in which a group of white men were falsely accused of rape, Miller reportedly wrote in 2006, "This travesty has been allowed to continue because we live in a nation paralysed by racial paranoia." According to The Telegraph, Miller says that his views have "matured" since those days in school. Nonetheless, Politico recently likened Miller's ideology to that of Steve Bannon, the Brietbart-executive-turned-White-House-strategist.

Miller's name isn't the only one floating around the White House communications director buzz. Also reported to be on the list is David Lapan, spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security. Until just last week, Lapan worked under former DHS Secretary John Kelly, who moved up to White House chief of staff after Reince Priebus was fired. According to CNN, Kelly is partial to moving Lapan over to the White House with him.

Lapan's background seems to starkly contrast with Miller's. According to CNNMoney, Lapan previously led communications teams at the Department of Defense and the Marine Corps. He told CNNMoney last week that he hadn't spoken to anyone about the White House job.

Depending on how you look at it, the next White House communications director — whoever he or she is — has a bold reputation to either live up to, or live down. Scaramucci, a.k.a. "The Mooch," only lasted a matter of days in the position. During his time in office, Scaramucci exposed infighting within the Trump administration, something the new communications director may have to overcome.