Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem is under fire for issuing misleading and incendiary information that claimed immigration agents killed an armed Minnesota protestor Saturday because he wanted to "massacre" them.

But that language was dictated to Noem and her department by the man most responsible for the controversial operation: Stephen Miller, the White House deputy chief of staff and top Trump adviser, four sources tell Axios.
Why it matters: The episode illustrates the sheer power of Miller, Trump's close and longest-serving political adviser whose dominion in the White House far exceeds his title.

His influence extends to de facto oversight of Noem, though she's a Cabinet secretary who technically outranks him.
"Everything I've done, I've done at the direction of the president and Stephen," Noem told a person who relayed her remarks to Axios.

Scoop: Stephen Miller behind misleading claim that Alex Pretti wanted to "massacre" agents