Max Miller (politician)

In February 2021, Miller launched a campaign for Congress in the redrawn 7th district. The district overlapped with what had previously been the 16th, represented by two-term Republican Anthony Gonzalez. Miller was initially set to face Gonzalez in the Republican primary, but Gonzalez announced in September 2021 that he would not seek reelection to a third term, denouncing Trump as a "cancer for the country" and citing the likelihood of a "brutally hard primary" against Miller, family considerations, and a wave of threats against him.[11][12] Miller ran after Gonzalez voted to impeach Trump for incitement of insurrection, arising from the January 6 attack on the Capitol.[13][14] Miller moved back to Ohio, purchasing a home in Rocky River, in order to challenge Gonzalez.[15]

In June 2021, in his first rally since the January 6 attack, Trump appeared in Wellington, Ohio, with Miller; he praised Miller in a 90-minute rally in which he addressed many topics, including his falsehoods about the 2020 election.[16]

Miller won the May 3 Republican primary for Ohio's 7th Congressional district with 71.9% of the vote.[17]

After announcing his candidacy, Miller was endorsed by Trump and the Club for Growth.[18][19][20] He also received support from Ohio Right to Life,[21] Ohio Value Voters,[22] and Congressman Jim Banks. He defeated Democratic nominee Matthew Diemer in the November 8 general election.[23]

Miller was elected by other incoming Republicans to represent them on the Steering Committee, which determines what committees members sit on.[24]

On January 31, 2023, Miller introduced a resolution to remove Minnesota Representative Ilhan Omar from the Foreign Affairs Committee. The resolution passed two days later.[25]

• Republican Main Street Partnership[26]

On August 15, 2023, Miller demanded Lizzie Marbach, the director of communications at Ohio Right to Life, delete a post in which she stated, "There's no hope for any of us outside of having faith in Jesus Christ alone." Saying, "This is one of the most bigoted tweets I have ever seen. Delete it, Lizzie. Religious freedom in the United States applies to every religion. You have gone too far." Individuals such as Matt Walsh, Christina Pushaw, and U.S. Representative Ilhan Omar all rebuked Miller's statements. He later apologized after facing backlash for attempting to silence religious views he disagrees with.[27]

After the October 7, 2023 terrorist attack by Hamas in southern Israel, Miller made numerous violent calls[28] to "turn" Gaza "into a parking lot."[29]

Miller pleaded no contest to two misdemeanor charges in 2007 after being charged with assault, disorderly conduct, and resisting arrest; the charges were later dismissed as part of a diversion program.[4] In 2009, he was charged with underage drinking; after he pleaded no contest, that charge was dismissed under a first-time offenders' program.[4][5] In 2010, Miller pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct stemming from a late-night physical altercation in Cleveland Heights, Ohio.[4][5] In 2011, he was charged with "operating a vehicle without reasonable control" and operating a vehicle impaired (OVI) after crashing his Jeep Laredo, and told officers that he had had "two to three beers and several shots" the night before and "woke up in urine-soaked pants".[5] Miller pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor and failure to control.[5] In 2018 and 2021, he called the events "youthful mistakes".[4]

In October 2021, former White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham, who had dated Miller, said he had "been physically abusive" to her, "cheated" on her, and "lied" to her. Miller filed a defamation lawsuit against her.[35] The case was voluntarily dismissed with prejudice by Miller in August 2023.[36]