Katie Rose Miller (née Waldman; born 1991 or 1992) is an American political advisor who served as the communications director for the Vice President of the United States Mike Pence from 2020 to 2021. She was previously his press secretary from 2019 to 2020. From 2017 to 2019, she served as a deputy press secretary at the Department of Homeland Security.

Katie Miller
Communications Director for the Vice President
In office
May 27, 2020 – January 20, 2021
Vice PresidentMike Pence
Preceded byJarrod Agen
Succeeded byAshley Etienne
Press Secretary to the Vice President
In office
October 1, 2019 – May 27, 2020
Vice PresidentMike Pence
Preceded byAlyssa Farah
Succeeded byDevin O'Malley
Personal details
Born
Katie Rose Waldman

1991 or 1992 (age 32–33)[1]
Fort Lauderdale, Florida, U.S.[2]
Spouse
(m. 2020)
Children3
Alma mater

Early life and education

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Waldman was born in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.[3] She is the daughter of attorney Glenn Waldman and Sheryl Waldman (née Bekoff). She attended Cypress Bay High School in Weston, Florida, graduating in 2010.

Waldman earned her BA from the University of Florida, where she was active in the student government's Unite Party. In 2012, she was involved in a scandal when she was caught destroying hundreds of copies of the school's newspaper, after it endorsed an opposing student government candidate.[2][4][5] Waldman attended George Washington University, where she earned a Master of Public Policy.[3]

Career

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Waldman worked as a press assistant for the National Republican Senatorial Committee in 2014, and then as press secretary for Senator Steve Daines, beginning in January 2015, and served as a spokeswoman for Senator Martha McSally, then joined the staff as deputy press secretary for the United States Department of Homeland Security during the tenure of Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen from November 2017 to February 2019.[6][7] In that role, Waldman repeatedly denied that DHS was separating children from their parents under the Trump administration's family separation policy.[8] During 2019, she was communications director for Arizona Senator Martha McSally, and later became the press secretary to Vice President Mike Pence on October 1, 2019.[6][7][9][10][11][a]

Personal life

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Waldman married Stephen Miller, Senior Advisor to the President, on February 16, 2020, at Trump Hotel, 5 blocks from the White House in Washington, D.C., with President Trump in attendance.[1][3][6][12] The two were dating when she was appointed to the vice president's office. Miller is a Conservative Jew.[13] Rabbi Aryeh Lightstone officiated at the ceremony.[1]

On May 8, 2020, President Donald Trump announced that Miller had tested positive for COVID-19. The President said she had not come into contact with him, but she was in contact with Vice President Mike Pence.[14][15][16] Later, she announced she recovered from COVID-19, and was pregnant.[17] During her pregnancy, both she, in May, and her husband, in October, tested positive for COVID-19.[18][19][20][21]

The Millers have a daughter, born shortly after the November 2020 election, and sons born in February 2022 and September 2023.[22][23][24]

Notes

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  1. ^ Her husband, Stephen Miller, had been the press aide for former Arizona Representative John Shadegg.[10]

References

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  1. ^ a b c "Controversial Jewish White House couple wed in DC ceremony". Times of Israel. February 17, 2020. Retrieved March 22, 2020.
  2. ^ a b Varn, Kathryn (September 21, 2019). "On Mike Pence's new press secretary and her bizarre Florida connection". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved May 9, 2020.
  3. ^ a b c "Katie Waldman and Stephen Miller Wed at Trump Hotel". The New York Times. February 16, 2020. Retrieved February 17, 2020.
  4. ^ Glunt, Nick (March 13, 2012). "Former student politician admits to dumping UF newspapers". Student Press Law Center. Retrieved December 13, 2019.
  5. ^ Stein, Max (March 22, 2012). "(Opinion) Katie Waldman Should Resign". Alligator.org. University of Florida. Retrieved February 18, 2020.
  6. ^ a b c Cole, Brendan (February 17, 2020). "Who Is Katie Waldman? Four Facts about Stephen Miller's Wife After Pair's Wedding at Trump Hotel". Newsweek. Archived from the original on February 17, 2020. Retrieved December 4, 2020.
  7. ^ a b Kwong, Jessica (September 19, 2019). "Who is Katie Waldman? Mike Pence's new press secretary is dating Trump Advisor Stephen Miller, worked under Kristjen Nielsen". Newsweek. Retrieved December 13, 2019.
  8. ^ Dickerson, Caitlin (August 7, 2022). "An American Catastrophe". The Atlantic. ISSN 2151-9463. Retrieved October 17, 2024.
  9. ^ Cranley, Ellen (November 15, 2019). "Everything we know about Mike Pence's press secretary Katie Waldman – who is reportedly engaged to Trump adviser Stephen Miller". Business Insider. Retrieved December 13, 2019.
  10. ^ a b Sanchez, Yvonne Wingett (September 19, 2019). "McSally spokeswoman Katie Waldman to become VP Mike Pence's press secretary". The Arizona Republic. Retrieved December 13, 2019.
  11. ^ Chalfant, Morgan (September 19, 2019). "Pence taps former DHS press aide as new press secretary". The Hill. Retrieved December 13, 2019.
  12. ^ Bromberg, Nick (February 16, 2020). "President Donald Trump leads field on a pace lap after giving command ahead of Daytona 500". Yahoo! Sports. Daytona Beach, Florida. Retrieved December 4, 2020.
  13. ^ "About Aryeh Lightstone". Nachum Segal Network. Retrieved March 22, 2020.
  14. ^ Diamond, Dan; Ward, Myah (May 8, 2020). "Katie Miller, Pence spokesperson, tests positive for coronavirus". politico.com.
  15. ^ Wilkie, Christina (May 8, 2020). "Press aide to Mike Pence tests positive for coronavirus, Trump reveals". cnbc.com.
  16. ^ Maegan Vazquez; Kaitlan Collins; John Harwood; Jim Acosta (May 8, 2020). "Pence's press secretary tests positive for coronavirus, Trump says". CNN. Retrieved May 8, 2020.
  17. ^ Lahut, Jake (May 27, 2020). "Katie Miller, Mike Pence's spokeswoman and Stephen Miller's wife, returns to work after negative coronavirus tests, announces she's pregnant". Business Insider. Retrieved July 7, 2020.
  18. ^ Lahut, Jake (November 30, 2020). "White House senior advisor Stephen Miller and his wife, Katie, who works as Pence's communications director, announce the birth of their first child with photos". Business Insider. Retrieved November 16, 2021.
  19. ^ Collins, Kaitlan; Acosta, Jim (October 6, 2020). "Top White House aide Stephen Miller tests positive for Covid-19". CNN. Retrieved December 4, 2020.
  20. ^ Wagner, Meg; Macaya, Melissa; Hayes, Mike; Rocha, Veronica (November 23, 2020). "October 6 Trump Covid-19 news". CNN. Retrieved December 4, 2020.
  21. ^ Liptak, Kevin (October 7, 2020). "Trump's focus remains on himself even as virus rips through his staff". CNN. Retrieved December 4, 2020.
  22. ^ Lahut, Jake (November 30, 2020). "White House senior advisor Stephen Miller and his wife, Katie, who works as Pence's communications director, announce the birth of their first child with photos". Business Insider. Retrieved November 16, 2021.
  23. ^ Bedard, Paul (March 1, 2022). "Baby No. 2 for Stephen and Katie Miller, son 'Jackson Grant'". Washington Examiner. Retrieved July 2, 2022.
  24. ^ Bedard, Paul (September 11, 2023). "Baby No. 3 for former Trump aides Stephen and Katie Miller". Washington Examiner. Retrieved November 8, 2023.