After the Republicans suffered a devastating defeat in the midterm elections, US President Donald Trump on Saturday announced that his Chief of Staff, Susie Wiles, will step down and her deputy, Stephen Miller, will take her place.
Wiles will remain in the president’s orbit. According to his post, she will move to the Trump Political Operation. Wiles was Trump’s first appointee after the 2024 election, and she made history as the first woman to hold the post of White House Chief of Staff.
“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,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social.
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Wiles also posted a statement shortly after the announcement. “Today is my last day as White House Chief of Staff. Serving President Trump in the White House has been the honour 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,” she wrote.
She added that her commitment to “the President and the mission” will not change. Wiles, who will leave on Monday, is the longest-serving chief of staff of Trump’s presidency. During his first four-year term, he went through four people in the job.
Miller’s appointment comes amid reports that the president is planning major changes to his cabinet after the midterm defeat. Some reports claimed he could remove Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth and that the Secretary of State Marco Rubio could leave to prepare for a presidential run in 2028.
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The State Department denied the report about Rubio, with one of its senior officials calling it “completely baseless fake news”.
Who Is Stephen Miller?
Miller, who holds the title of homeland security adviser, is one of Trump’s closest and longest-serving aides. He joined Trump team during the US president’s 2016 presidential campaign as a speechwriter. He currently serves as Deputy Chief of Staff and is most closely linked with Trump’s immigration policy.
He faced criticism after two protesters were shot dead by immigration agents in January.
Before joining Trump, Miller worked for former Republican Senator Jeff Sessions of Alabama, who later became the US president’s first attorney general.
US Vice President JD Vance also congratulated Miller on the new role.
Very grateful to Susie for her friendship and service to the president and our country. Stephen Miller is an amazing patriot and will do great things. Congrats to him on a well deserved promotion!
— JD Vance (@JDVance) November 6, 2026
“Very grateful to Susie for her friendship and service to the president and our country. Stephen Miller is an amazing patriot and will do great things. Congrats to him on a well deserved promotion,” he wrote on social media platform X.
