Stephen Miller on Executive Power

Stephen Miller has publicly expressed a view supporting an expansive, near-absolute interpretation of Executive Power, specifically referencing "plenary authority" under Title 10 of the U.S. Code. This assertion, which implies complete and unqualified power over a domain, was made during a televised interview while defending the president's ability to deploy the National Guard without state consent. Legal scholars immediately reacted to the term, noting it suggests an executive right to act without traditional congressional or judicial oversight, which is historically inconsistent with the American constitutional framework where such plenary power has generally been attributed to Congress in specific areas.

This statement, which was followed by a sudden on-air silence and a technical interruption, has been interpreted by critics as the administration openly stating its ambition for unrestrained executive action. The implication of such an authority is that the president could implement sweeping domestic and security measures, potentially bypassing statutory checks on the use of federal troops or emergency powers. The controversy suggests that Miller's position aligns with a theory of governance where the executive branch seeks to operate unbound by institutional restraint, a concept that alarmed observers as being more suited to monarchical rule than a constitutional republic.