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Matthew Miller (spokesperson)

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Matthew Miller
30th Spokesperson for the United States Department of State
In office
April 24, 2023 – January 20, 2025
PresidentJoe Biden
DeputyVedant Patel
Preceded byNed Price
Succeeded byTammy Bruce
Personal details
Born
Matthew Alan Miller

1973 or 1974 (age 50–51)[1]
Political partyDemocratic
EducationUniversity of Texas at Austin

Matthew Alan Miller (born 1973 or 1974)[1] is a former American public official who was spokesperson for the United States Department of State from 2023 to 2025. A longtime Democratic Party communications operative, he previously served in the Obama administration and for multiple Democratic presidential campaigns.

Early life and education

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Miller was born in 1973 or 1974. As of 2010, his mother was a retired management analyst for the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and his father was a retired pastor. He graduated with honors from the University of Texas at Austin.[1][2]

Career

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Miller has worked for Democratic U.S. Senator Robert Menendez, as well as the 2004 Kerry and the 2012 Obama presidential campaigns.[2]

During the Obama administration, Miller headed the Office of Public Affairs at the Department of Justice,[3] and served as the spokesman for U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder.[4]

After the 2020 U.S. presidential election, Miller was part of the Biden presidential transition.[5]

During the early days of the Biden administration, he led the efforts to get Antony Blinken's nomination as U.S. Secretary of State confirmed.[6] In 2022, he coordinated communications efforts regarding Russia's invasion of Ukraine for the U.S. National Security Council.[4]

Miller then worked for management and communications firm Vianovo, while also appearing as an analyst on MSNBC.[6]

Department of State spokesperson

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On April 11, 2023, Miller was named as the spokesperson for the United States Department of State, succeeding Ned Price.[4] He started in this new position on April 24, 2023.[2]

Miller speaking with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Israel on October 22, 2024

At one press conference on the Gaza war, Miller stated the U.S. "doesn't dictate to any country what it must do", a journalist interjected "Unless you invade them."[7] While answering questions pertaining to the Gaza death toll, Miller was accused by a man, understood to be journalist Sam Husseini, of "smirking". Miller replied "Absolutely not" and that he wouldn't "entertain" the accusation.[8]

Miller was rebuked by Matt Lee of the Associated Press, for laughing while answering a question about U.S. provided aid not reaching Gaza.[9][10] The joking by Miller was further criticized by author Mark O'Connell in a piece for The Irish Times devoted to Miller's conduct; O'Connell attributed Miller's laughter to, "his apparent disregard for the humanity of the people forced to live, and to die, amid the savagery of Israel's assault".[11]

After Special Rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territories Francesca Albanese presented a report concluding that Israel's assault on Gaza has met the threshold of genocide, Miller said that the U.S. had "for a longstanding period of time opposed the mandate of" Albanese[12] and alleged that Albanese had a "history of anti-Semitic comments".[13] Miller's accusation was condemned by Trita Parsi and by several organizations, some of whom called for Miller's resignation or likened Miller to using a, "Trumpian smearing of a principled human rights expert".[12]

In the early stages of the 2024 Israeli invasion of Lebanon, Miller stated that a U.S. citizen from Michigan who was killed in an Israeli airstrike, Kamel Ahmad Jawad, was not a U.S. citizen but instead a legal permanent resident.[14] This prompted criticism from the Council on American–Islamic Relations, and a correction from the State Department, who confirmed Jawad's U.S. citizenship.[15]

On January 20, 2025, he was succeeded by Tammy Bruce.[16]

Personal life

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Miller married his second wife in 2010. His first marriage ended in a divorce.[1]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d "Megan Bartley, Matthew Miller". The New York Times. July 23, 2010. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on July 25, 2023. Retrieved July 25, 2023.
  2. ^ a b c "Matthew Miller". United States Department of State. Retrieved June 27, 2023.[dead link]
  3. ^ "Former NSC official Matthew Miller named as U.S. State Dept spokesperson". Reuters. April 12, 2023. Retrieved July 25, 2023.
  4. ^ a b c Lee, Matthew (April 11, 2023). "Blinken names ex-NSC official to be new State Dept spokesman". Associated Press. Retrieved July 25, 2023.
  5. ^ Tarar, Eman Mudassar (April 12, 2023). "Matthew Miller appointed as US State Department Spokesperson". The Diplomatic Insight. Retrieved June 27, 2023.
  6. ^ a b Lippman, Daniel (April 10, 2023). "Biden eyes seasoned Dem operative to be State spokesperson". Politico. Retrieved July 25, 2023.
  7. ^ "US official laughs at question on invading other countries". Al Jazeera. February 28, 2024.
  8. ^ Dawson, Joe (July 9, 2024). "State Department spokesman accused of 'smirking' while discussing Gaza deaths". The Independent. Retrieved July 24, 2024.
  9. ^ "No Cookies". Townsville Bulletin. Retrieved January 8, 2025.
  10. ^ "Journalist calls out US spokesman Matthew Miller for laughing while answering question about Gaza". YouTube. November 5, 2024.
  11. ^ "Mark O'Connell: This man has the most despicable job in America, but he doesn't have to seem like he's enjoying it". The Irish Times. Retrieved January 8, 2025.
  12. ^ a b Johnson, Jake (March 28, 2024). "State Department Spokesman Urged to Resign Over 'Despicable' Attack on UN Expert". Common Dreams. Retrieved March 30, 2024.
  13. ^ "UN expert defiant amid threats after Israel 'genocide' finding". France 24. Agence France-Presse. March 27, 2024.
  14. ^ "American killed in Lebanon was a US citizen, State Dept says". Reuters. Retrieved January 8, 2025.
  15. ^ Elassar, Alaa (October 13, 2024). "Lebanese American killed by Israeli airstrike while caring for those who were displaced, family says". CNN. Retrieved January 8, 2025.
  16. ^ Toosi, Nahal (January 4, 2025). "Trump picks Fox's Tammy Bruce as State spokesperson". Politico. Retrieved January 21, 2025.
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Political offices
Preceded by Spokesperson for the United States Department of State
2023–present 		Succeeded by
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