Stephen Miller is replacing Susie Wiles as White House chief of staff, Donald Trump said on Friday, in the first major post-midterm shake up.
Trump posted on Truth Social, “I am pleased to announce that Mr. Stephen Miller, the current Deputy Chief of Staff of the Trump Administration, and one of my most trusted advisors, will become the Chief of Staff starting Monday, November 9, 2026. Susie Wiles, who has done an outstanding job, will be moving over to the Trump Political Operation. I want to thank her for her service as Chief of Staff — She has done a great job!”
CNN reported that Wiles submitted her resignation on Thursday evening.
Miller has been the architect of Trump’s aggressive immigration and deportation policy, including ICE raids that led to protests across the country and, in Minneapolis, the deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti. Analysts say that the ICE raids and threats contributed to the loss of support among Latinos, who shifted heavily toward Democrats in the midterms and helped propel them to across-the-board victories in Texas, among other places.
Watch on Deadline
But Trump and members of his administration are likely to face numerous investigations, and Miller’s choice is a signal that the president plans to fight those probes aggressively.
Wiles wrote on X, “Today is my last day as White House Chief of Staff. Serving President Trump in the White House has been the honor of a lifetime. I’m so proud to have been a part of what we’ve accomplished together from securing our border and cutting taxes to strengthening our economy and putting America First. More than anything, I’m grateful for the extraordinary people I’ve had the privilege of working alongside. While my role may be changing, my commitment to the President and the mission never will.”
“We got to make moves,” Trump told reporters. “Sometimes in life, you have to make moves.”
He said that Miller “has been with me from the beginning, and he’s a very good man. He’ll do a great job. Great manager.”
Wiles, the first female chief of staff in history, remained in the White House as she underwent treatments for breast cancer earlier this year. Last year, she gave candid remarks to Vanity Fair’s Chris Whipple, in which she talked of Trump as having an “alcoholic’s personality” and JD Vance as an opportunist, among other criticisms of administration officials.
A major administration after a midterm drubbing is not unusual, but in choosing Miller, Trump appears to be doubling down on his immigration and other policies, as well as an impudent style.
David Axelrod, senior advisor to Barack Obama, wrote on X, “Few did more to contribute to the debacle the GOP just endured that Stephen Miller. The backlash to his brutal ICE raids and natavist rants can be seen in returns all over the country. And for that, he’s … PROMOTED?”
For weeks, there has been speculation that Wiles was on her way out, with Miller, EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin and Director of National Intelligence Jay Clayton amond the names said to be in the mix. Trump denied that Wiles was on her way out, and just two weeks ago, the White House issued a legal threat to Politico after they reported that she was “under fire.” Trump denied she was on her way out.
Republicans are on track to lose up to nine Senate seats and face a House where Democrats may have around 260 seats to the GOP’s 175. Voter polls showed widespread dissatisfaction with the direction of the country and that Trump and Republicans were focused on the wrong set of issues.
In interviews on Election Night, Trump seemed to signal a willingness to work with Democrats.
But by the next day, he bypassed a tradition of holding a post-midterm presidential press conference and instead was fixated on his pet projects. He talked to reporters as he showed off his construction progress of a new White House ballroom. He’s also continued to press forward on other construction, including an arch between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington Memorial Cemetery. A federal judge, though, halted the project for at least two weeks amid a legal challenge.
