Miller vs Schiller: Who is the real 'Trump whisperer'?

TOI Correspondent from Washington: "There are no Democrats and Republicans in Washington anymore, only 'ins' and 'outs.'" is the new mantra in the US capital. India may be finding that out the hard way amid questions on whether its newly-hired lobbyist is delivering the goods after the tariff fiasco and if he is being outplayed by a Pakistani lobbyist. Both are said to be close to President Trump.

In May this year, India hired Jason Miller -- a communications strategist and political adviser who has served as a senior adviser to Trump's presidential campaigns in 2016, 2020, and 2024 -- through his firm SHW Partners LLC, to lobby for New Delhi. The year-long contract is costing the government $1.8 million, with a monthly fee of $150,000. His firm's role is to provide strategic counsel, tactical planning, and government relations assistance on policy matters before the US government, Congress, and other relevant stakeholders.


India's Miller/SHW contract came a month after Pakistan zeroed in on Keith Schiller, a former Trump bodyguard for two decades, through his firm Javelin Associates which he established with George Sorial, who served as Executive Vice President and Counsel to The Trump Organization. Pakistan is paying Javelin $ 50,000 per month as retainer.

While both Miller and Schiller have been dubbed "Trump whisperers" developments over the past six-eight weeks suggest Javelin has hit the mark while SHW has come up short.

Also read: 30 countries hired new lobbyists to negotiate with Trump, Pakistan brought on 7 firms - Report

In a city where influencers float in an out of Trump inner circle, Schiller is believed to have the President's ear while Miller is said to be out the loop, going by Trump's suddenly love for Islamabad manifested in his invitation to Pakistan's army chief Asim Munir for a White House luncheon and the lower tariff (19 per cent) on Pakistan compared to India, which has been slammed with 25 percent, with another 25 percent punitive penalty impending on August 25 if New Delhi continues to buy Russian oil.

However, White House insiders say characterisations like "Trump whisperer" are simplistic and the President is his own man taking decisions on what he sees as being good for America. They point out that Schiller left the White House as Director of Oval Office Operations in September 20 2017 after only nine months on the job and his access to Trump is exaggerated. Miller too has been out of the White House loop after declining a position of White House communications director after the 2016 election.

Others in the influence-peddling business say the best lobbyists are the foreign leaders themselves. Nothing pleases Trump more than foreign leaders phoning him personally, and even better, supplicating themselves before him in the Oval Office and pledging billions in investment. And if they can play golf with him (like former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe did), and lose to him, that would be a birdie hit. Former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol was among those who reportedly took up golf in an effort to connect with Trump.

Also read: Asim Munir likely to visit US again - Pakistan's chief of army staff to meet Trump? Second trip expected in 2 months

India is more cricket than golf, and the upshot is that it may be holing out hole (not hole-in-one) on the tariff issue. Prime Minister Modi's declining of Trump's invitation to visit the White House when the US President was hosting Pakistan's army chief Asim Munir on June 18, his subsequent non-engagement on the tariff issue, and the defiant tone on Russian oil issue in terms of a personal phone call are factors said to have miffed Trump.

"The (Indian) Prime Minister does not negotiate on tariffs over the phone. He leaves it to the negotiating," a senior Indian diplomat said by way of explaining the phone calls that some influencers are pressing for.

But New Delhi is leery given the experience of some leaders who phoned Trump, came over to Washington, and left red-faced after they did not meet his terms, on trade and other issues.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa was publicly embarrassed in the White House, while Ukraine's Voldymyr Zelensky was humiliated in the Oval Office. Some phone calls have bought time, notably one from Mexico's President Claudia Sheinbaum, while others Vietnam's Lo Tam and South Korea's Lee Jae-myung, made calls that secured lower tariffs.

Some other calls and visits have ended in disaster. Switzerland's President Karin Keller-Sutter came last week to avert a 39% tariff on Swiss goods, and did not get to meet Trump -- not even Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, US trade representative Jamieson Greer, or Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick. She got to see Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who does not oversee trade policy, and returned empty-handed.