Stephen Miller Slams Sen. Chris Van Hollen for Meeting with Deported MS-13 Member in El Salvador: “I’m Beyond Appalled”
White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller delivered a blistering rebuke of Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) following the senator’s controversial trip to El Salvador, where he met with Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a deported illegal alien and alleged member of the notorious MS-13 gang.
Instead of focusing on crises impacting his own constituents—such as violent crime, fentanyl overdoses, or illegal immigration—Van Hollen traveled to a foreign prison to meet with a man the U.S. government has flagged for involvement in human trafficking, gang activity, and domestic violence.
Miller Unloads on Van Hollen’s Priorities
“I’m almost at a loss for words for how outrageous it is,” Miller said. “Here’s an individual… documented by multiple federal and state authorities to be a member of MS-13… and that is who the Democrat Party is going to provide aid, solace, and comfort to.”
Miller emphasized the absence of compassion Van Hollen has shown to the American victims of illegal alien violence, specifically referencing Rachel Morin and Kayla Hamilton, two young women killed under horrific circumstances by individuals unlawfully present in the United States.
“Rachel Morin was viciously beaten, brutally raped, and murdered — and her mother never even got a phone call from Senator Van Hollen,” Miller continued. “His heart is reserved for an illegal alien who’s a member of a foreign terrorist organization. I’m beyond appalled.”
President Bukele and Trump Respond
The meeting sparked strong reactions across international and political lines. El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele mocked Van Hollen on social media, sharing images of the meeting and sarcastically referring to Garcia’s detainment as anything but torturous.
“Kilmar Abrego Garcia, miraculously risen from the ‘death camps’ and ‘torture,’ is now sipping margaritas with Sen. Van Hollen in the tropical paradise of El Salvador!” Bukele posted.
President Trump also weighed in on Truth Social, calling Van Hollen a “GRANDSTANDER” and stating the senator “looked like a fool” begging for media attention.
Political Optics and National Outrage
Critics say Van Hollen’s actions reflect a complete misalignment of moral priorities—offering international empathy to a suspected gang member while ignoring the suffering of American families devastated by illegal alien violence in his home state.
As Van Hollen posted updates of his encounter—going so far as to call Garcia’s wife to deliver a “message of love”—he ignited bipartisan backlash from citizens who feel abandoned by those meant to represent them.
In Miller’s words:
“How broken is that man’s heart? How broken is his conscience?”
The fallout from Van Hollen’s El Salvador visit is likely far from over. For many Americans, the senator’s symbolic embrace of a deported gang-affiliated criminal serves as a painful reminder of where political empathy too often lies—not with the victims, but with the perpetrators.
