Trump names Stephen Miller White House chief of staff, replacing Susie Wiles
The longtime adviser and architect of the administration's immigration policies takes over Monday as the president prepares for a Democratic Congress.
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump said Friday that Stephen Miller will replace Susie Wiles as White House chief of staff, the biggest shake-up of his team since Republicans lost control of Congress in Tuesday’s midterm elections.
Miller, the White House deputy chief of staff, will start in the new role Monday, Nov. 9, Trump announced on Truth Social. Wiles will move to the president’s political operation, CBS News reported.
“Susie Wiles, who has done an outstanding job, will be moving over to the Trump Political Operation,” Trump wrote. “I want to thank her for her service as Chief of Staff — She has done a great job!”
A trusted adviser
Miller is one of Trump’s closest and longest-serving aides. He joined the president’s long-shot 2016 campaign as a speechwriter and has served as deputy chief of staff for policy and homeland security adviser in the second term. He is best known as a key architect of the administration’s immigration policies.
Asked by reporters why he chose Miller, Trump said, “Stephen’s been with me from the beginning.” He called Miller very good politically and a very good manager.
In a post on X, Miller said it had been the privilege of his life to serve on Trump’s team from the first day. He said the mission now was to fight to support the president and defend the country.
White House communications director Steven Cheung called Miller “a Trump OG” and said there was no bigger advocate for the president’s agenda.
Wiles’ tenure
Wiles, 69, a veteran Florida political strategist who ran Trump’s 2024 campaign, was the first woman to serve as White House chief of staff. She held the job longer than anyone else who served Trump in the role. The president went through four chiefs of staff during his first term.
“Today is my last day as White House Chief of Staff,” Wiles posted on X. “Serving President Trump in the White House has been the honor of a lifetime.”
Trump has praised Wiles as a fighter. At a White House event in October, he said, “She’s tough.”
Bracing for oversight
The change comes as the White House prepares for a Democratic-controlled House and Senate starting in January. Democrats will gain subpoena power when the new Congress is sworn in and have promised investigations of the administration.
Miller has already been named as a likely target. Rep. Robert Garcia of California, expected to lead the House Oversight Committee, said in a statement that Miller “should lawyer up.”
The chief of staff manages the White House staff, controls the president’s schedule and oversees relations with federal agencies and Congress. Miller will take on those duties as Trump faces a narrower path for his agenda.
The president has said he will use his veto to block Democratic legislation, though he has also said the two sides will probably make deals at some point.
Trump also faces questions about his Cabinet. CBS News reported this week that he has privately asked advisers whether Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth should stay on after the midterm losses. The White House said Trump has full confidence in Hegseth.
Democrats will not gain subpoena power until the new Congress convenes in January, and Republicans control both chambers until then. Democrats have said they plan to examine the independence of agencies such as the Justice Department and the Department of Homeland Security, as well as the business interests of the president and his family.
