Miles Taylor mocks Trump’s “grifter” label with a satirical wealth-building guide

Miles Taylor, who once served as chief of staff at the Department of Homeland Security, recounted a recent interview on his Substack where a reporter labeled him as “getting paid big bucks to stand up to Trump.” Rather than taking offense, Taylor crafted a satirical five-step “wealth-building” roadmap that starts with being fired, collecting unemployment, and giving away most of his book proceeds. He then jokes about spending any remaining cash on security personnel and legal counsel, followed by courting a federal investigation to further inflate legal fees, and finally confronting personal loss as his startup and friendships crumble.

Taylor declined a financial advance for his forthcoming book, A Warning, and has founded DEFIANCE.org to mobilize opposition to what he calls presidential overreach. While the piece is laced with sarcasm, he acknowledges the real strain on his family and reflects on the choice between quiet profit and public dissent.