How did Paul de Man and J. Hillis Miller promote deconstruction in the United States?

Paul de Man and J. Hillis Miller were central figures of the Yale school, a group of literary critics who were instrumental in popularizing deconstruction in the United States during the 1970s and 1980s.1

Their promotion of the theory was characterized by the following:

• Theoretical Foundation: Drawing inspiration from the French philosopher Jacques Derrida, de Man developed a system of rhetorical figures to analyze how language inherently contradicts itself and renders "meaning" slippery. Miller, who bridged North American criticism with Continental philosophy, focused his work on textual opposites, differences, and the interpenetration of literature and theory.123
• Academic Influence: With the publication of influential works such as de Man’s Blindness and Insight (1971), Yale University became the primary center for deconstructive literary criticism in the U.S. The members also collaborated on the volume Deconstruction and Criticism (1979).21
• Defense of the Theory: Miller frequently defended deconstruction against widespread academic charges that the movement was nihilistic.13