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Who is Katie Miller? Top WH aide Stephen Miller tests positive day after wife mocks Kamala Harris on Covid-19

More than 18 White House officials and others in the president’s close circle have now tested positive for the virus

It seems like Covid-19 is throttling the Donald Trump administration and his close aides. The recent update is that Stephen Miller, President Trump’s senior adviser, tested positive for the virus on Tuesday, October 6. More than 18 White House officials and others in the president’s close circle have now tested positive for coronavirus. 

A senior White House official relayed that Miller had previously tested negative as staff have tried to contain an outbreak of coronavirus that has infected Trump, the first lady and many of POTUS’ aides. "Over the last 5 days I have been working remotely and self-isolating, testing negative every day through yesterday. Today, I tested positive for Covid-19 and am in quarantine," Miller said in a statement as reported by CNN.

As per Associated Press, Miller is considered the architect of the president’s “America First” foreign policy and restrictive immigration measures. Previously, in May, his wife, Katie Miller, who serves as communications director to Vice President Mike Pence, had contracted the virus. However, she tested negative on Tuesday morning, October 5 as reported by CNN. Katie had traveled with Pence to Salt Lake City ahead of the vice presidential debate scheduled for Wednesday, October 7 but left the trip out of an abundance of caution, per CNN.

The news of her husband testing positive for Covid-19 comes a day after Katie took a jibe at the Democrats' Vice Presidential candidate, Kamala Harris, over Covid-19 protections. The issue was, Commission on Presidential Debates had approved plans for plexiglass to be used for the 2020 VP debate on Wednesday, October 7, due to mounting concerns over coronavirus transmission. However, the two VP camps were divided over whether to erect a plexiglass barrier or not, while Harris's camp supported it, Mike Pence’s camp opposed it. “If Sen. Harris wants to use a fortress around herself, have at it,” Miller had said commenting on Harris’s support for the protection.

Who is Katie Miller

Katherine Rose Miller is a political advisor who has been serving as a press secretary to Vice President Mike Pence since October 1, 2019. Florida born Katie received her Bachelors degree from the University of Florida where she was active in the student government's Unite Party. Katie was involved in some controversies even before she entered the political realm. Tampa Bay reported that in 2012, Katie, who was a University of Florida student senator, was involved in a scandal where she was caught destroying hundreds of copies of the school's newspaper after it endorsed an opposing student government candidate.

She started her career as a press assistant where she worked for the National Republican Senatorial Committee and then as a press secretary for Senator Steve Daines. Before she started to work for Pence, Katie had already served as deputy press secretary under former Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen. She is prominently known for defending the Trump administration's immigration policy that led to family separations, as reported by The Newsweek. Katie and Stephen’s romance began brewing when she was appointed to work for Pence in 2019. At that time, Stephen was serving as Trump’s speechwriter. Newsweek reported that he was known for having faith in hard-line immigration policies and played a key role in influencing the Trump administration's immigration agenda. 

Almost after a year of romance, the pair got married in February 2020 at the Trump International Hotel in Washington. In May 2020, Katie tested positive for Covid-19. At that Time Trump said, "She's a wonderful young woman, Katie, she tested very good for a long period of time." He added, "And then all of the sudden today she tested positive. She hasn't come into contact with me. She's spent some time with the vice president." So far Mike Pence has tested negative for the virus though. 

As soon as news about the White House aide having Covid-19 hit the news, many people dragged Katie into their comments. Social media dragged Katie for ridiculing Harris over Covid-19 when her husband has tested positive now. A CNN reporter wrote, “Stephen Miller tests positive a day after his wife, a Pence aide, mocked Kamala Harris for wanting COVID protections at tomorrow’s VP debate.” A New York Times contributor wrote, “Unlike Stephen Miller, COVID doesn't discriminate. It even goes after white nationalists.” A user quipped, “Coronavirus when it realizes it’s inside Stephen Miller.”

Another user tweeted, "Katie Miller was mocking Kamala Harris TODAY for wanting basic protections from a deadly and contagious virus both Katie and her husband have contracted. Where does Kamala go to get her apology, Katie? Mike Pence you wanna take this one?"