User:BINK Robin/Matthew Miller draft
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Department of State spokesperson
Miller was named the successor to Spokesperson for the United States Department of State Ned Price, officially assuming the position on April 24, 2023.[1][2] 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.[3][4][5] 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".[6] Voice of America described the deepfake as having hallmarks of the Russian information war against Ukraine.[7] Miller was banned from Russia in retaliation for American sanctions on Russians and his role in outlining American foreign policy.[8] 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.[9][10][11]
On the 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.[12] 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".[13][14] The same month, Miller said Israel's efforts to resolve humanitarian issues in Gaza had been insufficient.[15] He credited incoming members of the second Trump administration for their assistance negotiating a ceasefire in the conflict.[16]
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.[17] In response to a question about aid failing to reach Gaza citizens, Miller said that Israel had failed to properly facilitate its transfer, but that the evaluation period was 30 days and it "wasn't the end of the semester", drawing a rebuke from Lee.[18][19] Mark O'Connell criticized Biden administration spokespeople generally and Miller specifically in The Irish Times, writing that Miller's "apparent disregard" for the people in Gaza led to his levity.[18] In defining American opposition to United Nations Special Rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territories Francesca Albanese and her report finding that Israel had committed genocide in Gaza, Miller alleged Albanese had a history of antisemitic comments, drawing condemnation and calls for his resignation by Trita Parsi and others.[20] Miller later said he was referring to specific remarks made by Albanese in 2022 regarding a "Jewish lobby controlling America", reported by The Times of Israel.[21][22] In September 2024, he said that the United States has always been "committed to the destruction of Hamas" while also seeking a "diplomatic resolution to conflict in the Middle East". Current Affairs editor-in-chief Nathan J. Robinson called the position self-contradictory, as Hamas is a party in the conflict.[23] In discussing the death of Kamel Jawad, an American killed in the 2024 Israeli invasion of Lebanon, Miller said it was the State Department's understanding that Jawad was a legal permanent resident rather than a citizen.[24] This was criticized by the Council on American–Islamic Relations.[25] Miller subsequently said the Department was examining its records to confirm his citizenship, and it later confirmed he was a citizen.[26][25]
Miller was succeeded as State Department Spokesperson by Tammy Bruce.[27]