President Donald Trump has chosen Stephen Miller as his next chief of staff, replacing Susie Wiles less than a week after Republicans suffered major losses in the House and Senate during the midterm elections. Miller, one of Trump’s most influential and politically aggressive aides, is expected to take over on Monday as the White House prepares for possible congressional investigations and further personnel changes.
Miller to replace Susie Wiles
Miller has served as deputy chief of staff for policy and as homeland security adviser. He has overseen some of the most polarizing policies of Trump’s second term, particularly the administration’s immigration crackdown, which the source article says has cost Americans lives.
Trump announced the change in a statement on his Truth Social platform. Miller will succeed Wiles on Monday, following what the source describes as a fierce rebuke of Trump’s policy agenda at the midterm elections.
Two people familiar with the matter said Trump had privately blamed Wiles for the Republican Party’s worst midterm performance in decades. Sources said Wiles submitted her resignation on Thursday.
Trump was reportedly considering three candidates for the position: Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, Director of National Intelligence Jay Clayton and Miller. He ultimately chose Miller as the White House faces the prospect of a congressional investigation beginning next year, in part because of Miller’s eagerness to defend the president and his longstanding loyalty.
Miller has worked with Trump since his first presidential campaign and supported him during his 2021 political exile. People familiar with the matter said he had openly expressed interest in the chief of staff position in the West Wing for weeks, after Wiles faced a series of negative reports suggesting that her job was at risk before the midterm elections.
Potential White House personnel changes
In recent months, Trump had begun excluding Wiles from some decisions, reinforcing concerns among her critics that her position was unstable. The source article also cites a report that the White House hired Katie Zacharias as press secretary without consulting Wiles. The White House rejected that claim.
White House aides were preparing for additional staff changes after Wiles’s resignation. Sources said Wiles’s deputies, James Blair and Richard Walters, could be vulnerable to dismissal by Miller unless they resign first. Blair and Walters helped shape the Republican Party’s medium-term strategy.
The leadership change could also ease tensions involving Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who had recently clashed with Wiles but is viewed as ideologically aligned with Miller. Hegseth and Miller worked closely together last year when the Trump administration began an offensive campaign targeting shipping around Venezuela.
Miller also leads the White House Homeland Security Council. The source article says he organized a campaign through the Pentagon.
Wiles’s departure
Wiles leaves the White House after being described in the source article as one of Trump’s most successful chiefs of staff. She retained Trump’s trust from the beginning of his second presidential campaign in 2021, in contrast with the instability surrounding the chief of staff role during Trump’s first term.
Wiles had faced several challenges in recent months. She successfully underwent chemotherapy and also faced allegations that her daughter received a lucrative contract because of the family’s ties to Trump. A report cited the allegation, while the White House and her daughter’s company pushed back against the claims.
In a message posted to X, Wiles wrote: “It has been the honor of a lifetime to serve President Trump in the White House. I’m so proud to have been a part of what we’ve accomplished together, from securing our borders and cutting taxes to strengthening our economy and putting America First.”
Source: www.wired.com