Texas GOP official suing Biden over aid to Black farmers has history of hateful comments

On Monday, Republican Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller filed a suit in federal court alleging that the Biden administration’s American Rescue Plan discriminates against white farmers and ranchers.

Miller objects to a provision in the law that provides relief to “socially disadvantaged” farmers and ranchers. The U.S. Department of Agriculture defines the term as individuals who have “been subjected to racial or ethnic prejudices because of their identity as a member of a group without regard to their individual qualities.”

In the suit, which he filed in a personal capacity and not on behalf of Texas, Miller complains that the definition does not include “white ethnic groups that have unquestionably suffered” due to their ethnicity. Miller’s case is backed by America First Legal, the group created and run by former Trump senior adviser Stephen Miller, who has a documented history of affiliations with white supremacists.

Sid Miller, who served in the Texas House of Representatives from 2001 to 2013, losing his seat in a Republican primary and then running for agriculture commissioner in 2014, has a history of racist, bigoted, and sexist comments.

In 2015, Miller shared a photo on his Facebook page of an atomic bomb mushroom cloud with the caption, “Japan has been at peace with the U.S. since August 9, 1945. It’s time we made peace with the Muslim world.”

The post stayed up a few days until it attracted negative media attention. But even after it was taken down, Miller’s office did not express regret over it: His campaign spokesman, Todd Smith, told the Texas Tribune, “We’re not going to apologize for the posts that show up on our Facebook page.”

In 2019, Miller called on Austin, Texas, Mayor Steve Adler to decline an invitation to attend an Iftar dinner, the main meal of a Ramadan fast day, with Minnesota Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN), with his office releasing a statement that read, “Texas Commissioner of Agriculture Sid Miller today said he was shocked to learn that Austin’s Jewish Mayor Steve Adler plans to share the stage at an upcoming Ramadan dinner with controversial Minnesota Congresswoman Ilhan Omar.”

Adler rejected Miller’s demands, noting, “The Iftar is a time for reflection, piety and growing closer to God. Every year, this event is a special opportunity for people of many faiths to grow together. As mayor, it is my privilege and responsibility to lean into such learning moments with my community — not to back away from them.”

While supporting Donald Trump’s campaign in 2016, Miller referred to Sec. Hillary Clinton using the misogynistic slur “cunt” in a tweet. Miller blamed the posting on a hacker and then later on a staffer.

But in a tweet a few days before the incident, Miller wrote on Twitter, “My thoughts are my own,” calling into question his attempts to blame the posting on others.

“It’s disrespectful and not something I would want my name attached to. We apologize for that,” he later told the Houston Chronicle.

In 2017 Miller posted a story to his Facebook page alleging that a group of hunters had been attacked by Mexican immigrants at their campsite. In a comment posted alongside the story, Miller endorsed Donald Trump’s border wall.

“This is why we need the wall to secure our borders,” he wrote. “There are violent criminals and members of drug cartels coming in.”

But the story was false. The sheriff’s department that investigated the claim found that the injuries that had occurred were due to an incident of friendly fire among the men.

In June 2020, Miller promoted the debunked conspiracy theory that liberal philanthropist George Soros had financed protests over the death of George Floyd.

“I have no doubt in my mind that George Soros is funding these so-called ‘spontaneous’ protests,” Miller wrote. “Soros is pure evil and is hell-bent on destroying our country!”

And in December 2015, Miller tweeted, “If one more person says Happy Holidays to me I just might slap them. Either tell me Merry Christmas or just don’t say anything.”

Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.