Trump replaces chief of staff Susie Wiles with Stephen Miller

President Donald Trump announced on Friday, November 6, that White House chief of staff Susie Wiles is leaving her post, with deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller taking over on Monday, November 9. The change comes days after Republicans lost control of both chambers of Congress in the midterm elections.

Wiles moves to political operations; Miller takes over Monday

Trump said in a post on his Truth Social platform that Wiles, the nation's first female White House chief of staff, would continue to work for him on political operations, praising her performance. Wiles managed Trump's 2024 campaign and has served as chief of staff since day one of this administration. In a statement on X, she said November 6 was her last day in the role and that she was proud of what the team had accomplished, including securing the border, cutting taxes and strengthening the economy.

Miller currently serves as deputy chief of staff as well as an adviser to the Department of Homeland Security. He has been one of Trump's most senior advisers since 2016 and is the architect of many of the president's hardline immigration policies. "Stephen's been with me since the beginning. He gets it," Trump told reporters later in the afternoon.

Linked to the midterm losses

CBS News, citing three sources, reported that Wiles submitted her resignation on the evening of November 5 and that her departure was linked to the midterm defeat. NPR noted that Republicans were swept out of power this week and that the move struck a defiant note from Trump; data show voters backed Democrats in part because of Trump's aggressive immigration enforcement.

Democratic leaders in Congress sharply criticised the appointment. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries called Miller "a dangerous xenophobe," while Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said Trump "learned nothing from his historic defeat" and called Miller the architect of the administration's "most barbaric, inhumane policies."

The chief of staff as gatekeeper

The chief of staff is widely seen as the gatekeeper of the president's time, information and access. David Cohen, a political science professor at the University of Akron who studies the role, said a chief of staff is supposed to be a neutral broker making sure all voices are heard, but is often the last person talking to the president. NPR said Miller is likely to exercise even greater influence over the president's time and attention in his new role.

(Sources: NPR; CBS News.)