During his tenure as spokesperson for the State Department,he addressed issues including the Russo-Ukrainian war (2022–present),2023 Chinese military exercises around Taiwan,and the Gaza war following the October 7 attacks in Israel. Some of Miller's statements on the Gaza conflict,U.S. policy toward Hamas,and responses to international criticism of the war and allegations of Gaza genocide drew criticism. After leaving office,Miller stated that European recognition of Palestine and pro-Palestinian protests were appropriate,criticized the Biden administration for insufficient pressure on Israel,accused Israeli soldiers of war crimes while rejecting claims of genocide,and condemned Israel for sabotaging ceasefire efforts.
Miller (center) fields questions from reporters including (visible,from left) Michael Birnbaum,Tom Bateman,and Michael Crowley on a military aircraft on December 13,2024.Miller speaking with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Israel on October 22,2024
He has been critical of Russia,including for escalation of its invasion of Ukraine,detention of Evan Gershkovich and suppression of information from Russian citizens in relation to slowing connections to YouTube in the country.[7][8][9] A deepfake created using spliced footage from multiple press briefings of Miller saying Belgorod was an appropriate target for Ukrainian strikes and that the city had been evacuated circulated in May 2024;he denounced the deepfake as "disinformation".[10]Voice of America described the deepfake as having hallmarks of the Russian information war against Ukraine.[11] Miller was banned from Russia in retaliation for American sanctions on Russians and his role in outlining American foreign policy.[12]
He expressed concerns about Chinese support for the war and condemned Chinese military drills near Taiwan following a speech by Taiwanese president Lai Ching-te and Chinese withdrawal from arms control talks following American arms sales to Taiwan.[13][14][15]
Miller served as the spokesperson during and after the October 7 attacks and the subsequent Gaza war. Miller said "too many innocent Palestinians" had been killed following injuries and deaths at an aid site in February 2024 and called for Israel to increase the flow of aid to Gaza.[16] He called for a full investigation into August 2024 allegations of sexual assault of Palestinian prisoners by Israel Defense Force (IDF) members and condemned a strike by the IDF on a building in the Gaza Strip that killed at least 55 people in October 2024,calling it "a horrifying incident with a horrifying result".[17][18] The same month,Miller said Israel's efforts to resolve humanitarian issues in Gaza had been insufficient.[19]
Miller's responses and stated government positions on the Gaza War drew criticism. In July 2024,Miller was accused of inappropriate levity when discussing the Gaza war by Sam Husseini and Matt Lee,with the former accusing Miller of smirking when talking about the war's death toll. Miller denied the accusation.[20] Miller stated the U.S. government's position of seeking Hamas's destruction in September 2024,while supporting a diplomatic resolution to the conflict,a stance criticized by one columnist as contradictory and undermining the diplomatic posture.[21] After Special Rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territoriesFrancesca 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[22] and alleged that Albanese had a "history of anti-Semitic comments".[23] 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".[22] 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.[24] This prompted criticism from the Council on American–Islamic Relations,and a correction from the State Department,who confirmed Jawad's U.S. citizenship.[25]
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