White House Leadership: Stephen Miller Named New Chief of Staff
Susie Wiles steps down after Democratic midterm sweep, moving to the president's political operation while Miller assumes control of policy and legislative affairs.
By Luana Sato ·
President Donald Trump announced on Friday that Stephen Miller will replace Susie Wiles as White House chief of staff. The personnel change takes effect immediately and follows the midterm elections held on Tuesday, in which Democrats gained control of both chambers of Congress. Trump said the shift signals how his administration will handle the coming clash with the new congressional majority.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump described Miller as one of his most trusted advisors. The president stated that Wiles has done a great job and thanked her for her service. Wiles will move to the president’s political operation, though the specific title for her new role was not immediately disclosed.
Wiles had served as chief of staff since the start of Trump’s second term. In a statement, she said working with the president was the honor of a lifetime. She added that while her role is changing, her commitment to the mission remains constant. Reports indicated that Wiles was on the outs with the president following the Democratic sweep in the midterms.
Miller has advised the president since his first term. He is known for his aggressive political style and his role in shaping the administration’s immigration policies. Those policies included a surge in federal enforcement that resulted in the deaths of two U.S. citizens in Minnesota earlier this year. Miller also led the drafting of NSPM-7, a memo that outlined the groundwork for designating left-leaning groups as domestic terrorists.
White House spokesperson Steven Cheung called Miller a Trump OG in a post on X. Cheung said Miller is the biggest advocate for the Trump agenda and will help deliver victories for the rest of the term. Miller had yet to make a public statement on his new appointment as of Friday afternoon.
Miller reportedly told the president that the administration needs to focus on winding down the Iran war. The New York Times reported that Miller argued the president’s core supporters viewed the conflict as a betrayal. As chief of staff, Miller will have significant power over policy development and legislative interactions with the newly empowered Democratic Congress.
