Republican Senator Bernie Moreno on Sunday publicly called for Representative Max Miller, his ex-son-in-law, to step down from Congress amid allegations of domestic and child abuse. As recently as Friday, the Ohio senator had avoided giving his opinion directly on accusations made by his daughter, Emily Moreno, against the congressman. “If there are any basic standards of character required to hold elected office, Max Miller fails them. He should not serve in the House of Representatives,” the Ohio senator wrote in a post on X on Sunday. “I believe Max Miller needs to seek professional help to end the clear pattern of abuse he has left in his wake. I believe he should not be free to continue endangering others until he does.” Moreno also said he had hoped the situation would remain private but added that Miller’s “increasingly erratic and dangerous behavior has made that impossible”. The senator’s statement came hours after Miller released a livestream Sunday morning denying allegations of domestic and child abuse and insisting he would remain in the race for re-election. The public appearance came ahead of Wednesday’s deadline to replace him on the ballot. “Just want to be clear: no court, no agency has ever substantiated any allegation of abuse against me. No criminal charge has ever been filed against me,” Miller said on the livestream. “Every single one of these allegations were already investigated, and I cooperated fully every single time because I had nothing to hide and I have nothing to hide now.” The statement follows allegations that Miller poured hot water on Emily Moreno, held a gun to her head and broke their toddler daughter’s collarbone. The accusations have intensified scrutiny of Ohio’s seventh congressional district race, with Democrats viewing the seat as a possible pickup while Republicans have largely remained silent so far. When asked on Friday by NOTUS whether Miller should continue his re-election campaign, Moreno responded, “I don’t know,” according to the outlet. Miller, 37, has denied allegations made by both his ex-wife, Emily Moreno, and former girlfriend Stephanie Grisham, the former White House press secretary, as he continues his re-election campaign. Emily Moreno, a conservative policy adviser, shares a two-year-old daughter with Miller. The former couple has been involved in a custody dispute over their child since 2024. In his Sunday statement, Bernie Moreno said it had been “horrific” to witness the situation unfold in view of the public “all while knowing an innocent two-year-old girl is caught in the middle.” Among the allegations, Emily Moreno testified earlier this year in connection with a defamation lawsuit filed against her by Miller that he “took hot water from a pan he had just cooked eggs in and threw it at me”. She has also accused Miller of holding a gun to her head, according to the New York Times. The couple married in 2022.
Allegations Against Max Miller
The allegations stem from a deeply personal matter involving Moreno's daughter, Emily, and her ex-husband, Max Miller. Emily has claimed that during their marriage, Miller physically abused her by hitting her, making verbal threats, and even dousing her with hot water. The couple officially ended their marriage last year, but their shared custody of a young daughter has led to an ongoing legal dispute.
A recent Mother Jones report uncovered new details about the custody case, including a troubling incident in which the couple's two-year-old daughter suffered a broken collarbone. The parents have provided conflicting explanations of how the injury happened, as outlined in court documents and police reports reviewed by the magazine. A spokesperson for Miller shared evidence with The Associated Press, stating that multiple claims of abuse were investigated by Cuyahoga County's Division of Children and Family Services and found to be unsubstantiated. Miller has filed a defamation lawsuit against Emily.
Despite the increasing scrutiny and public backlash, Miller has refused to step down from his congressional position. On Sunday, he posted a video to social media in which he denied all allegations made by his ex-wife and confidently stated his intention to win the November midterm election.
Emily's spokesperson, Stefan Mychajliw, released a statement condemning the video as 'shameful.' He pointed to what he described as a 'documented trove of evidence' supporting Emily's claims and accused Miller of attempting to deflect blame onto his ex-wife to protect his political future. Mychajliw also accused Miller of 'victim shaming' in the video.
Democratic lawmakers have joined the call for Miller's resignation and for a formal ethics investigation into his actions. They believe the situation could weaken Miller's hold on the congressional seat, presenting an opportunity for Democrats to gain an advantage in the upcoming midterms. With a deadline looming for party leaders to choose a potential replacement, Miller, a former White House aide, also came under pressure from Donald Trump on Monday after the president reportedly called and told him “things aren’t looking good” for his re-election campaign against Democrat opponent, Brian Poindexter. Public statements from Moreno’s fellow Republican senators indicate that their sympathies are with him. “[Miller] should resign. He should quit,” Roger Marshall, a senator from Kansas, told Politico. “I don’t know Mr. Miller’s story, but I trust Bernie [Moreno] so much as a good friend, and his family has such high values.” West Virginia senator Shelley Moore Capito said: “I don’t know [Miller]. I haven’t read a whole lot about him, but if [Moreno] thinks he ought to resign, I’m supportive of that.” Lisa Murkowski, a Republican senator from Alaska, said: “The accusations are very serious, and if there is truth to them, I am one who says that our elected officials need to be held to high standards. And certainly, when it comes to allegations of domestic abuse, child abuse, that’s not what we want in our lawmakers.” Three other senators, Rick Scott of Florida, the West Virginian senator Jim Justice, and Cynthia Lummis of Wyoming, also gave public backing to Moreno against Miller. “I don’t know enough about the allegations, but like Bernie said, it sounds like he thinks he needs psychological help,” said Scott, “I trust Bernie.”
Miller – who married Emily Moreno at Trump’s club in Bedminster, New Jersey in 2022 – has been accused of holding a gun to her head and scalding her with boiling water. Their toddler daughter, who was born in 2023, is also said to have suffered a broken collar bone due to his actions. Miller denies allegations of abuse and has filed a defamation case against his wife over the claims. The couple divorced in 2025. Axios reported that Trump called Miller on Monday amid concerns that the situation threatened Republican chances of holding the congressional seat in November’s midterms, when the party already faces an uphill challenge to keep its wafer-thin majority in the House of Representatives. But the president avoided taking sides when asked about the issue by reporters in the White House. “I know Max, he’s a good person. I mean, I always thought he was a very good person. And I’m going to let the families figure that out,” he said. Miller has resisted calls for him to withdraw from the race and told the Wall Street Journal that Trump “was supportive of me over the phone” on Monday’s call. “He said he had a poll with no detail, and I pushed back with our poll that has us winning by 9 with our message out there,” Miller told the newspaper. “He kept on reiterating it’s going to be tough, and it’s going to be a really hard one for you.” If Miller were to remove his name from the ballot before the close of business on Tuesday, a special Republican primary would be held to replace him. If he were to withdraw after that, the party would still need to replace him by 10 August, but would need to give two days notice beforehand to hold a meeting to choose a substitute candidate.
Max Miller's career has not been without controversy. He served as a White House adviser under former President Donald Trump. More recently, Miller drew criticism for his remarks during the ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestine. He reportedly suggested that Palestine would be transformed into a 'parking lot' in the wake of the war, a statement that many found offensive and insensitive.