An extract from West Point historian, Terrence Goggin, Substack Nov 10th 2026

Miller’s new post is the second most powerful job in Washington. Why? Because Richard Nixon allowed his aide H.R. “Bob” Haldeman to create the office of Chief of Staff (COS) to consolidate Presidential power in a single aide to direct not only the White House staff but the Executive Branch as a whole to see that the President’s decisions and intention were carried out. Every Administration since then has kept the model.

Anyone who wished to see or talk to the President would have to go through the COS. Subsequent Administrations have continued to use the Haldeman staffing system which gave the White House staff the ability to tell cabinet secretaries and other officials “the President wants this to happen”. This enables the President through his COS to circumvent the legal chain of command, diluting the power of cabinet secretaries and “improve efficiency”. It also gives the COS power to implement his own agenda by interpreting the President’s intent broadly.

Miller should study Bob Haldeman. In early 1973 Haldeman was called by the Senate to testify under oath and did not claim Executive Privilege nor did he take the 5th. He testified in blatant defense of the Administration and Nixon personally. He denied all wrong doing and specifically denied participating in the Watergate coverup. He was contradicted by other witnesses and the White House tape recordings. Haldeman was eventually fired after the testimony. He was indicted and after a jury trial, spent years in prison for his actions, loyal to the President to the last. An interesting tip for Miller, Haldeman had called Nixon before Nixon resigned as President to request a pardon. Nixon refused to take his call.