The Democratic National Committee escalated its war of words with White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller on Wednesday, telling him to “shut up you ugly f—” in a social media post that has reignited debates over political rhetoric.
The exchange began when the DNC’s official X account posted a message boosting Texas state Representative James Talarico, who is running for the U.S. Senate. “Fired up. Ready to go. It’s time to take back Texas,” the party wrote.
Miller, a senior adviser to former President Donald Trump, quote-tweeted the DNC’s post with a jab at Talarico’s campaign. “The Democrats made history in Texas by nominating their first transgender senate candidate,” Miller wrote, referencing baseless claims that Talarico is transgender.
The DNC fired back within minutes, using a vulgar phrase directed at Miller. The party did not immediately clarify whether the post was authorized by leadership or was a rogue staff action.
Miller’s wife, Katie Miller, a former Trump administration official, condemned the DNC’s response during an appearance on Fox News’s “The Ingraham Angle.” She called it “violent rhetoric” that mirrors the kind of language she says leads to real-world attacks. “This is the same violent political rhetoric that is leading people to shooting up, whether it be the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, or President Trump in Butler,” she said.
The incident underscores the heated nature of the Texas Senate race, where Talarico faces Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton in November. Paxton secured the Republican nomination on Tuesday with 63.8 percent of the vote, backed by Trump’s endorsement. Trump has predicted a “fantastic” win for Paxton, whom he called a “common sense Senator.”
Talarico, however, argues that Trump’s influence is waning in Texas. “A lot of the president’s supporters in Texas are feeling disillusioned, they’re feeling disillusioned with this extremism and this corruption that is embodied by politicians like Ken Paxton,” Talarico said Tuesday on MSNBC. He added that he sees an opportunity to build a coalition of Democrats, independents, and disaffected Republicans.
Texas has not elected a Democratic senator since 1988, but Talarico’s campaign has drawn national attention. The DNC’s vulgar retort to Miller may further energize both parties’ bases as the race heats up.
This is not the first time the DNC has used sharp language on social media, but the profanity-laced attack is a departure from typical party messaging. The incident comes as political violence remains a concern; the FBI recently warned of new cyber threats targeting political campaigns, though unrelated to this spat.
Meanwhile, the Texas race continues to draw national interest, with potential 2028 Democratic contenders watching closely as the party seeks to rebuild in red states. The DNC’s aggressive posture toward a top Trump adviser signals that Democrats are not backing down from a fight in the Lone Star State.
