Miller succeeds Wiles as White House chief of staff after GOP midterm loss
The swap follows the Republican defeat on Tuesday and ends the tenure of the first woman to hold the post.
By Sarah Reynolds ·
Stephen Miller takes over as White House chief of staff following the Republican defeat in the midterm elections.
President Donald Trump announced the change on Friday via his social media platform. The move occurred days after Republicans lost control of Congress. Miller currently serves as deputy chief of staff and is a central figure in the administration's immigration strategy. He joined Trump's team as a speechwriter during the 2016 campaign. He previously worked for former Senator Jeff Sessions, who later became the first attorney general under Trump.
Susie Wiles, who held the position since the start of Trump's second term, will remain with his political organization. She became the first woman to serve as White House chief of staff. In a social media post, Wiles described serving the president as the honor of a lifetime. She cited the administration's work on the border, taxes, and the economy. She stated that her commitment to the mission would not change.
The departure follows a turbulent year for Wiles. In December 2025, she gave a candid interview to Vanity Fair. She described Trump as having an alcoholic's personality, though he does not drink. She said Attorney General Pam Bondi had whiffed in her handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files. She also referred to Vice President JD Vance as a conspiracy theorist for about a decade. Wiles later called the magazine's publication a disingenuously framed hit piece, but she did not deny the comments.
Wiles, 69, also managed a personal health battle. In March 2026, she revealed a diagnosis of early stage breast cancer. She underwent surgery and treatment while working. In September 2026, she announced she was cancer free. She told Fox News Digital in October 2026 that her doctor insisted she get a mammogram that day because a machine was available. She said the early detection was critical to her outcome.
Wiles built her reputation as a disciplined campaign manager. She ran Trump's campaign in Florida in 2016 and oversaw the entire 50 state effort in 2024. Trump often called her the ice maiden. He noted that she led his best run campaign. She previously worked as a scheduler for President Ronald Reagan. She also ran the successful 2018 gubernatorial campaign for Ron DeSantis in Florida. A rift with DeSantis emerged in 2020 when he urged the Trump campaign to cut ties with her. She later served as a partner at Ballard Partners, a lobbying firm that represented clients such as General Motors and the city of Jacksonville.
Trump cycled through four chiefs of staff during his first term. Reince Priebus served for six months. John Kelly served for 17 months. Mick Mulvaney served for a little over a year in an acting capacity. Mark Meadows served for the final 10 months of that term. Wiles is now the longest serving chief of staff for Trump across both terms.
