‘YOU ARE WASTING MY TIME!’ Trump Surrogate Stephen Miller LOSES IT When Reporter Confronts Him About Venezuelan Crime Claims

Stephen Miller, who served as an advisor in former President Donald Trump’s White House, was a surrogate for the Republican nominee at the ABC News debate this week, and had a contentious interview with reporter José María Del Pino.

Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris met up in Philadelphia Tuesday evening for a debate moderated by ABC News’s David Muir and Linsey Davis. The ex-president dropped a number of unfounded and untrue claims and rants, including saying pet-eating migrants were terrorizing an Ohio town and Democrats support post-birth abortion and were at fault for the assassination attempt. He also claimed that President Joe Biden “hates” Harris and “can’t stand her,” backtracked on his confession he lost the 2020 election, and got a lot of criticism throughout the debate even from the right.

Miller was one of several Trump surrogates in the post-debate spin room, and was questioned by Del Pino about the former president’s claim that the Venezuelan crime rate was lower than the United States.

It did not go well.

As the video clip posted by Del Pino begins, Miller is talking about how, if Trump is re-elected, “all these criminal migrants that have been flooded in the country, they’re going to be the first to get thrown out of here,” on “day one.” He continued, mentioning “heinous crimes” committed by Venezuelan gang members.

“The crime rate in Venezuela is down, I believe, a little bit 60 percent, over the last several years,” said Miller.

“Are you trusting the official figures from the Venezuelan dictatorship?” asked Del Pino, referring to the Nicolás Maduro regime.

Miller retorted, “If you’re a dictator of a poor country with a high crime rate, wouldn’t you send your criminals to our open border?”

“That wasn’t my question,” said Del Pino. “Are you trusting the figures of the dictatorship? Those are Maduro numbers.”

“I am believing that it is in the interest of a criminal dictator, to let his criminals out of their jails and come to our country,” said Miller.

Del Pino pressed him again if he had “real numbers, not the dictator’s numbers.”

Miller started mentioning some sort of CCTV footage that presumably showed some crimes committed by Venezuelan gangs, and Del Pino interjected that his family was from Venezuela: “I know very well the situation in Caracas and many other cities.”

Miller kept talking about the video footage of gangs at an apartment complex and Del Pino tried again. “But I was asking to you about figures, numbers, facts.”

“The facts are the dead bodies,” said Miller.

Once again, Del Pino asked him about his claim the crime rate was higher in the U.S. than Venezuela. “I was asking you about Caracas and the numbers in Caracas — are you trusting the numbers of the dictatorship?”

Miller began shouting, as he gestured with his hand for emphasis. “I am trusting the fact that Kamala Harris is letting illegal immigrants into this country who are raping and killing children!”

“Why are you yelling?” responded Del Pino, pointing out he had been very respectful.

Miller continued, asking Del Pino if he knew who various people were, listing names of crime victims that have been frequently mentioned by Trump and his supporters as part of the immigration debate.

“Do you know how many people is experiencing violence in Caracas?” Del Pino persisted.

The Trump surrogate continued his ranting, and Del Pino asked, “Why are you yelling again?”

“I’m yelling because children are being raped and murdered!” yelled Miller.

“I’m just asking for figures and you have not replied to me about those figures,” said Del Pino. “Do you trust the numbers of Nicolás Maduro?”

Miller kept yelling about gangs.

“Do you trust Nicolás Maduro?” repeated Del Pino.

“I trust that he does not want his criminals to be –” began Miller, still shouting.

“So you believe in his numbers?” Del Pino interjected.

This back-and-forth continued for a while, with Del Pino repeatedly asking for what figures Miller was using and if he was trusting the dictatorship’s claims.

“Children are dead and you are wasting my time!” yelled Miller, pointing his finger at Del Pino.

“No, I am not wasting your time,” Del Pino insisted. “I am asking for facts, as a journalist.”

“Children are being raped! Do you have any remorse for the dead children?!” Miller screamed. “Do you care at all about the dead children?!”

“Absolutely,” said Del Pino.

Miller ranted about Trump’s immigration plans, to deport “the migrant gangs” and Del Pino once again tried to ask about the figures.

“So you don’t have figures?” he asked as Miller ignored him and kept ranting.

“You have not replied to my question,” said Del Pino as Miller turned to walk away.

Del Pino posted several other tweets with additional information, citing the Venezuelan Violence Observatory statistics — “not Madura’s Government,” as he pointed out — showing that “Venezuela’s homicide rate is more than 4x the USA Figure.”

“It is true, that Venezuela’s Homicide rate has decreased,” he wrote. “However, it is false that it is safer than the USA.”

He added a “little disclaimer,” that he was Chilean, but has Venezuelan family members. “Therefore, a substantial part of my family lives in Venezuela. Their pains and uncertainty in the face of dictatorship and insecurity are my pains, too.”

Watch the video above.

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Sarah Rumpf joined Mediaite in 2020 and is a Contributing Editor focusing on politics, law, and the media. A native Floridian, Sarah attended the University of Florida, graduating with a double major in Political Science and German, and earned her Juris Doctor, cum laude, from the UF College of Law. Sarah's writing has been featured at National Review, The Daily Beast, Reason, Law & Crime, Independent Journal Review, Texas Monthly, The Capitolist, Breitbart Texas, Townhall, RedState, The Orlando Sentinel, and the Austin-American Statesman, and her political commentary has led to appearances on the BBC, MSNBC, NewsNation, Fox 35 Orlando, Fox 7 Austin, The Young Turks, The Dean Obeidallah Show, and other television, radio, and podcast programs across the globe.