Daniel Wolfram
As members of Trump’s cabinet get more reviled, the top officials flee a hostile capital for wild bashes on military base.
Behind the guarded gates of a local military post, Katie and Stephen Miller have quietly built a booming social fortress.
Stephen Miller is the White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy and is very powerful within the Trump administration. He is also one of the lead architects of the very unpopular White House immigration policy that has seen a crackdown on minorities, whether or not they are illegal immigrants or even criminals.
After neighbors started to write hostile messages in chalk on the sidewalk outside their northern Virginia house because of the Millers’ reputation, Katie explained on her own podcast that, “it was no longer safe for our children to play in our front yard.”
The zone of interest
Now, their backyard has turned into party central for Donald Trump’s inner circle, according to a report by Vanity Fair. Big names drop by regularly.
Neighbors like Marco Rubio and Pete Hegseth mingle while hibachi chefs squirt sake into their mouths, kids ride a mechanical bull, and guests eat lavish cakes.
The gatherings are packed. “It’s almost the whole Cabinet,” one regular guest told Vanity Fair. “Sometimes we joke: ‘Do we need a designated survivor for this one?’”
People in the Trump administration can’t be in public
Public restaurants feel completely off-limits. People in the administration deliberately avoid downtown spots where hostile locals might confront them over a meal.
As former press secretary Karoline Leavitt told Vanity Fair: “So why not just create our own parties with our own friends?”
Still, the fortified arrangement raises questions on Capitol Hill. Lawmakers have criticized political appointees for taking over historic military housing traditionally reserved for senior officers.
Power and pressure
While the Millers pay rent, with The New York Times reporting typical base housing rates between $4,500 and $6,500 a month, critics argue the quarters should remain with active service members.
Attending these fortress parties is not just casual weekend fun. Stephen Miller holds massive sway, making his wife’s dinner invitations impossible to decline.
As one Trump ally admitted to Vanity Fair: “I can’t stand her. But if she asks you to go on the podcast, or come over for dinner, you say yes, because Stephen Miller is the second-most powerful person in the world.”
