The White House on Sunday fired back at Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) over his criticism of White House senior policy adviser Stephen Miller as an “outlier” on immigration.
“As long as Sen. Graham chooses to support legislation that sides with people in this country illegally and unlawfully instead of our own American citizens, we're going nowhere. He’s been an outlier for years,” White House spokesman Hogan Gidley said in a statement Sunday night.
The South Carolina Republican warned earlier in the day that with Miller in charge of immigration, negotiations are “going nowhere.”
"Every time we have a proposal it is only yanked back by staff members. As long as Stephen Miller is in charge of negotiating immigration, we're going nowhere," he told reporters, adding that "the White House staff, I think, is making it very difficult."
He said Miller, who previously worked for then-Sen. Jeff sessions, has “been an outlier for years” on immigration.
Some on Capitol Hill are arguing that Miller is pushing President Trump to be too much of an immigration hawk.
Graham also tweeted that Trump and his chief of staff have been reasonable on immigration but others in the White House have not.
"President Trump has expressed a desire to have border security with compassion on immigration. #winningcombination. General Kelly is tough but reasonable. Some other staff in the White House hold extreme and unrealistic views. They hold us back from getting a solution," he wrote.
President Trump has expressed a desire to have border security with compassion on immigration. #winningcombination.
— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) January 21, 2018
General Kelly is tough but reasonable.
Some other staff in the White House hold extreme and unrealistic views.
They hold us back from getting a solution.