FLASHBACK: Unearthed Video of Stephen Miller Defending Duke Lacrosse Players Accused of Rape

AP Photo/Patrick Semansky

A young Stephen Miller defended Duke University lacrosse players falsely accused of rape to Nancy Grace in 2006, per a recently unearthed video from the interview.

In the clip, Miller told Grace, “I think I speak for many students when I say that we’re very, very concerned that two innocent people may have possibly just had their lives ruined —” before Grace interjected, “Oh, good lord! That’s your first concern, that somebody is falsely accused?”

“Don’t tell me what my first concern is,” Miller answered. “I was disturbed to see how people were saying, ‘Why aren’t they coming forward? Why aren’t they saying what happened? Why haven’t they spoken out against other players?’ But no one said, ‘Wait, hold on a moment, what if they’re innocent? What if they didn’t do anything at all?'”

Grace then said it was time to end the call, but her second guest cut in, “These things don’t happen in a vacuum. I understand your point, but it’s also freedom of speech. People have a right, just like you’re expressing your opinion.”

Miller replied, “They do, but it was prosecuted as a witch hunt from the beginning. People presumed their guilt, and in America, we don’t do that.”

The video was shared by far-right conspiracy theorist and commentator Jack Posobiec, who interviewed Vice President JD Vance on Thursday.

Posobiec, who has a history of sharing white supremacist and antisemitic content, is best known for his support of the Pizzagate conspiracy theory, which claimed several Democratic leaders were engaged in pedophilia. A gunman ultimately fired off several shots into a pizza restaurant in Washington, D.C., where the children were supposed to be held.

The Duke lacrosse players were ultimately vindicated when their accuser, Crystal Mangum, admitted she made up the story. Mangum was not charged for making false accusations; she was released from prison in February 2026 after serving 13 years for second-degree murder.

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