Stephen Miller, the White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy, described the nationalization of American-built oil infrastructure in Venezuela as a “historic injustice” during an interview on Monday, signaling that the Trump administration’s current priority is reclaiming stability—and energy resources—rather than an immediate push for new elections.
Speaking on Fox News’ Hannity, Miller fielded questions regarding reports that he is being vetted for a high-level role overseeing a post-Maduro transition.
While he stopped short of confirming a new title, noting only that he serves the president’s agenda, he offered a detailed preview of what that agenda looks like: a heavy focus on revitalizing Venezuela’s oil sector using United States technology.
“A lot of people don’t know that it was American companies that built out the oil infrastructure going back to the 1920s in Venezuela,” Miller told host Sean Hannity. He argued that the eventual seizure of those assets by the Venezuelan state constituted “probably the greatest material theft that had ever been committed against the United States of America in terms of its raw dollar and financial value.”
The interview comes as the administration frames its recent actions in the region as a “military masterclass.” According to Miller, the immediate goal is to establish an “interim period of security and stability” that paves the way for economic recovery. He emphasized that the country’s massive oil reserves—the largest proven reserves in the world—had been used by adversaries to “fund their militaries” and “fund their terrorism” prior to U.S. intervention.
“The United States of course lost its resources, its wealth, its property,” Miller said. “And as you pointed out, we discovered the oil, we created the technology to extract the oil… and so that historic injustice has been reversed.”
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When pressed by Hannity on whether he would be taking a direct leadership role in this new phase, Miller pivoted to the administration’s broader team dynamic. “As far as my own role, it’s the same as always been,” he said. “I serve the president, I implement his agenda.”
Miller also took a moment to celebrate the end of what he called a “boycott” by other networks, referencing a contentious interview with CNN’s Jake Tapper earlier in the day. However, the focus remained largely on the administration’s economic and security rationale for its moves in Caracas. Miller asserted that bringing American expertise back to the Venezuelan oil fields would not only stabilize the region but also lower gas prices domestically and cut off funding for cartels and gangs.
“We are all working together as a team on behalf of our genius president to make sure Venezuela is stable,” Miller concluded.
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