Trump names Stephen Miller chief of staff as Susie Wiles exits after midterm losses
President Donald Trump has named Stephen Miller as his new White House chief of staff, replacing Susie Wiles just days after Republicans lost control of Congress in the midterm elections.
Wiles handed in her resignation on Thursday night, a US official told CBS News, and sources linked her departure to the election losses, BBC News reported. Miller, 41, is due to start in the role on Monday. The change was also confirmed by the White House and reported by the Associated Press.
“We’ve got to make moves sometimes”
Speaking to reporters, Trump said Wiles had “done a very good job” but added that “we’ve got to make moves sometimes”. He said she would move to his political operation. Only last month, asked whether she might be replaced, he had said there was “zero chance”.
Wiles, 69, was widely seen as one of the most powerful and trusted figures in the administration. She announced in September that she was in remission from cancer. On X she called her time on Trump’s team “the honour of a lifetime” and said her commitment to the president “never will” change.
Explaining his choice, Trump said Miller had “been with me from the beginning”, calling him “very good politically” and “a very good manager”.
Who is Stephen Miller?
Miller has been deputy chief of staff and is regarded as the architect of Trump’s hardline immigration agenda. He served as a senior adviser in Trump’s first term and stayed loyal after the 2020 election defeat.
He previously worked for Alabama senator Jeff Sessions before joining Trump’s campaign in 2016. He has been behind many of the administration’s executive orders and immigration measures, from travel bans in the first term to pushing for more deportations.
In a post on X, Miller thanked Wiles for her service and friendship and said the mission was to “fight with all of our soul to support our President”.
Democrats push back
Democrats, who will control both the House and Senate for the rest of Trump’s term, sharply criticised the appointment, accusing the president of doubling down after voters rejected his party. Congressman Robert Garcia, expected to lead the House Oversight Committee, said he would continue to investigate Miller.
Wiles is not the only senior figure to leave since the election. Several Justice Department officials have also stepped down, including civil rights division head Harmeet Dhillon.
The shake-up sets the tone for a combative final two years, with a loyalist at the centre of the White House facing a Congress now run by the opposition.
