Miles Taylor (security expert) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Miles Taylor
Taylor during the Web Summit 2024
Chief of Staff of the United States Department of Homeland Security
In office February 8, 2019 – September 2019
President	Donald Trump
Preceded by	Chad Wolf
Succeeded by	Chad Mizelle (acting)
Personal details
Born	1986/1987 (age 37–38)
Political party	Forward (2022–present)
Other political affiliations	Independent (2022) Republican (until 2022)
Education	Indiana University Bloomington (BA) New College, Oxford (MPhil)

Miles Taylor (born 1986/1987) is an American author and public speaker. He used to work for the United States government. He served in the administrations of Presidents George W. Bush and Donald Trump.

During President Trump's time in office, Miles Taylor worked at the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) from 2017 to 2019. He became the top assistant, known as the chief of staff, for the DHS. He was first asked to join the department by John F. Kelly, who later became the White House Chief of Staff.

In 2018, Taylor wrote an article for The New York Times using the pen name "Anonymous." The article, titled "I Am Part of the Resistance Inside the Trump Administration", was very critical of President Trump. It got a lot of attention. After leaving the government, he published a book in November 2019, also as "Anonymous," called A Warning.

In October 2020, he told everyone that he was "Anonymous." He then started campaigning against Trump's reelection. He was the first former Trump official to support Joe Biden for president. He also started a group of former officials who were against Trump's reelection. Today, Taylor advises new technology companies. He also appears on the news to talk about technology and national security. He has taught about national security at a university.

Early Life and School

Miles Taylor grew up in La Porte, Indiana. When he was in high school, he was a state champion in debate. He was also one of the top students, known as a valedictorian, at La Porte High School in 2006. While in high school, he worked as a page in the United States House of Representatives in Washington, D.C.

He earned a bachelor's degree in international security studies from Indiana University Bloomington. He attended the university as a Harry S. Truman Scholar and a Herman B. Wells Scholar. Later, he earned a master's degree (MPhil) in International Relations from New College, Oxford. He studied there as a Marshall Scholar in 2012.

Government Career

Miles Taylor decided to work in government because of the September 11 attacks in 2001. He said he wanted to spend his life making sure such a day would not happen again. He wanted to help advance human freedom.

In 2007, while still in college, Taylor worked as an intern for the Secretary of Defense. He also interned for Vice President Dick Cheney. In 2008, he helped prepare information for Secretary Michael Chertoff at the Department of Homeland Security. He also worked for the Department of Defense in 2009.

Taylor was appointed to a position in the George W. Bush administration. He worked for the House Appropriations Committee and the Committee on Homeland Security. There, he was a chief speechwriter and national security advisor for Chairman Michael McCaul. He also helped lead a task force focused on stopping terrorists. In 2015, he became a Penn Kemble Fellow. In 2016, he helped write House Speaker Paul Ryan's national security plan.

Working at Homeland Security

Taylor (right) with then-Secretary Nielsen in 2018

Miles Taylor joined the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in February 2017. At that time, John F. Kelly was the Secretary of Homeland Security. Taylor worked as Kelly's deputy chief of staff and senior advisor. Later, he became the chief of staff for DHS. This was during the end of Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen's time and the start of Acting Secretary Kevin McAleenan's time.

While at DHS, Taylor helped improve U.S. defenses against dangerous drones. He also led important efforts to stop terrorist plots that involved different groups and countries. Taylor described some of the Trump administration's travel rules as "tough" but "fair." He tried to limit the number of countries affected by these rules. He was also involved in discussions about immigration policies. He later called the Trump administration family separation policy a "sickening display of bad judgment." Taylor said this policy was one of the reasons he left the Trump Administration.

Taylor also led the DHS's first practice drills for a possible nuclear attack. This happened after North Korea tested long-range missiles. After Russia interfered in the 2016 U.S. elections, Taylor helped improve U.S. election security. This was to prevent foreign interference in American elections.

"Anonymous" Identity

Miles Taylor wrote a famous article in September 2018 for The New York Times. It was titled "I Am Part of the Resistance Inside the Trump Administration" and he signed it as "Anonymous." This article caused a lot of discussion. Taylor said that in April 2019, he saw President Trump offer pardons to Homeland Security staff. This was for any crimes they might commit while stopping illegal immigration to the United States. Taylor said this was when he decided to leave the department.

He left DHS in June 2019. Then, still as "Anonymous," he released a book in November 2019 called A Warning. The book described the problems inside the Trump White House. USA Today called the book "a scathing portrait of a president and administration in chaos." The book became a number one best-seller on The New York Times Best Seller list.

After the book came out, Taylor said he would reveal his identity before the 2020 election. He also promised to give most of the money from the book to charity. He later announced he had donated the money to various organizations. He publicly revealed his identity just before the 2020 election. He said that writing anonymously forced the President to respond to the ideas themselves, rather than just insulting the author.

Work at Google

In September 2019, Miles Taylor started working at Google. He was a manager for government affairs and public policy. He later became the head of Google's advanced technology and security strategy. Around the same time, he also became a senior fellow at the Auburn University McCrary Center for Cyber and Critical Infrastructure Security. He also joined the Council on Foreign Relations.

Speaking Out About the Trump Administration

In August 2020, Miles Taylor took time off from Google to support Joe Biden's presidential campaign. He made an advertisement for Republican Voters Against Trump. In it, he spoke against Trump and supported Biden for the 2020 presidential election. He also wrote an opinion piece for The Washington Post.

Taylor appeared on news shows, saying that other former Trump administration members were thinking of speaking out too. On August 24, Taylor confirmed he was helping to start a group called the Republican Political Alliance for Integrity and Reform (REPAIR). This group aimed to oppose Trump's reelection and to improve the Republican Party.

Taylor shared many stories criticizing Trump. For example, he said Trump was too distracted to pay attention to important briefings. He also claimed Trump refused advice to punish Russia for interfering in U.S. affairs. Taylor also said Trump wanted to trade Puerto Rico for Greenland because it was "dirty and the people were poor." He also claimed Trump tried to block aid for California wildfire victims because it was a Democratic state. Taylor also said Trump told his homeland security secretary to listen to a TV talk show host.

In 2020, Taylor and over 130 other former Republican national security officials signed a statement. They said President Trump was not fit for another term. They believed it was best for the nation if Vice President Joe Biden was elected.

In September 2020, Taylor told The Lincoln Project about a list of executive orders. He said a senior presidential adviser had prepared these orders in case Trump won a second term. Taylor claimed these orders were considered too extreme for a first term. Later, reports suggested that Stephen Miller was the adviser Taylor was talking about.

Taylor also told news organizations that Trump ordered American flags to be raised. This was after they were lowered to honor Senator John McCain. He also said Trump ignored warnings about the rise of domestic terrorism for political reasons. Taylor appeared on a CNN special in October 2020. He criticized Trump's focus on immigration, especially the border wall. He said Trump's "wall-or-nothing approach" meant he ignored other important threats. These included cybersecurity, counterterrorism, and foreign interference.

In June 2021, Taylor stated that the biggest national security threat to the United States was "extremist elements" within his own political party. This included those involved in the January 6th Insurrection. In December 2022, Taylor said he did not see himself as brave. He saw many people in the Republican Party as "cowardly" for not speaking out.

Technology, Writing, and News

Miles Taylor became a CNN contributor in August 2020. After Trump lost to Biden, Taylor left his job at Google. Taylor often appears on CNN, MSNBC, BBC, and other news channels. He talks about national security, technology, and public policy. He has spoken a lot about how artificial intelligence and quantum computing affect the economy and global politics. Taylor also teaches part-time at the University of Pennsylvania.

Taylor's second book, Blowback, was published in 2023. It reached number five on the New York Times best-seller list. Taylor shared voice messages online that he said were threats he received before the book came out. Taylor also hosted a podcast series called The Whistleblowers. He was also a special contributor to Americast by BBC News.

Taylor is a co-founder of Station DC, a tech hub in Washington, D.C. He also advises a strategy firm called Washington Office.

Taylor often talks publicly about AI technology and national security. He has highlighted the challenges of fake media created by AI. In 2024, NBC News reported that Taylor led "war games." These games explored how AI tools could be used to attack the United States. They also looked at how to use AI against new threats. He later made a public service announcement about AI deepfakes with actor Ed Helms. It featured celebrities like Amy Schumer and Michael Douglas.

Taylor has also discussed how quantum computing affects public policy. He told Congress that quantum AI is "the arms race of the 21st Century." He urged more investment in this technology. Taylor helped create a bill to boost U.S. investment in quantum computing. This bill became part of the CHIPS Act. He wrote an article suggesting the idea of a "qubit military advantage (QMA)." This means one military force could have more processing power than another through quantum computing. He predicted this would create new global competition.

Political Activities

In May 2021, House Republicans removed Representative Liz Cheney from her leadership role. This was because she opposed Trump. After this, Miles Taylor and Evan McMullin organized a group of over 150 Republicans. This group included former governors, senators, and cabinet members. They issued "A Call for American Renewal." They threatened to form a third political party if the Republican Party did not change.

In June 2021, Taylor and McMullin launched a new group called the Renew America Movement (RAM). This group aimed to find candidates for the 2022 elections. These candidates would challenge those who still supported Trump. In October 2021, Taylor and former New Jersey Governor Christine Todd Whitman wrote an article for The New York Times. They announced that RAM would support "rational" Republicans and moderate Democrats in the 2022 elections. Their goal was to reduce the power of pro-Trump Republicans. Taylor's group later said they planned to raise "tens of millions" of dollars. This money would support a group of House and Senate candidates. This was to counter Donald Trump's influence on the Republican Party.

In July 2022, Taylor combined his organization, Renew America Movement, with several others. They launched a new political party in the United States. This party included former Democrats, Independents, and Republicans. When announcing the new Forward Party, Taylor said that Americans were looking for a new political choice.

Havana Syndrome Incidents

In a 60 Minutes interview in February 2022, Miles Taylor said he had two experiences that matched Havana syndrome symptoms. Havana syndrome is a set of mysterious health problems reported by U.S. government officials. Taylor also said he knew of a high-level government official who had similar experiences.

Second Trump Administration

Even though he opposed Donald Trump, Miles Taylor encouraged conservatives to join Trump's second administration after he was re-elected. In the New York Times the day after the 2024 election, Taylor wrote that "Republicans with integrity cannot turn away from the difficult years ahead." He urged them to "step forward and serve in the executive branch." He said this was out of dedication to the principles that hold the country together.

Security Clearance Changes

On April 9, 2025, President Trump signed an executive order. This order removed security clearances for Taylor and his close associates. This included people at the University of Pennsylvania. It also removed the clearance for Chris Krebs, who was the first Director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. The order also called for investigations into the work of both men during their time in office. At the time of the executive order, the University of Pennsylvania did not do secret research and had no security clearance.

Political Groups

Miles Taylor was a lifelong member of the Republican Party. However, he donated to the Barack Obama campaign in the 2008 presidential election. He said he wanted to be able to tell his kids that he supported the first Black president of the United States.

In May 2022, Taylor announced he was leaving the Republican Party. He said the party was supporting ideas like the "great replacement theory." This was especially after the Buffalo shooting. He stated that his party no longer represented conservative values. He felt it was a threat to those values and to America. Miles Taylor is now a member of The Forward Party.

See also

In Spanish: Miles Taylor para niños

• List of former Trump administration officials who endorsed Joe Biden

Images for kids

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  Taylor during the Web Summit 2024

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  Taylor (right) with then-Secretary Nielsen in 2018