Trump Names Stephen Miller White House Chief of Staff After Midterm Losses

President Donald Trump announced Friday, Nov. 6, that Stephen Miller, the White House’s deputy chief of staff, will become the president’s chief of staff. Miller is one of the administration’s leading advocates for its hard-line policies, particularly on immigration. He will replace Susie Wiles, who is leaving the post after Republican defeats in the midterm elections.

The appointment marks the first major change to Trump’s team since the Nov. 3 election. Republicans suffered historic setbacks and lost control of both the House of Representatives and the Senate. The results angered Trump, who began questioning the political strategy his allies pursued during the campaign. Wiles was among those Trump identified as responsible for the outcome.

Wiles submitted her resignation Thursday night, according to sources cited by U.S. news outlets. Trump said she would join the political arm of his organization outside the White House, and praised her work as exceptional. The change is scheduled to take effect Monday, Nov. 9. Wiles said on social media that serving the president had been “the greatest honor of a lifetime” and that she was proud to have taken part in the administration’s accomplishments. “Although my role may be changing, my commitment to the president and to the mission will never change,” she added.

Miller has worked with Trump since the Republican’s first presidential campaign in 2015 and is considered one of the central architects of the president’s anti-immigration agenda. His selection places one of the government’s most influential hard-line figures in the White House’s top staff position. During Trump’s first term, from 2017 to 2021, Miller played a central role in developing restrictions on foreign nationals entering the United States.

One of the major initiatives associated with Miller was construction of a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border, a campaign promise made by Trump. Sections of the structure were built in different parts of the border, but the project was not completed as originally proposed.

Wiles was the first woman to serve as White House chief of staff and was one of Trump’s closest allies. She managed the Republican’s 2024 campaign and played a decisive role in his return to the presidency. Known for keeping a low profile and managing internal disputes, she also worked on Trump’s 2016 campaigns and helped restore his image after the 2021 attack on the Capitol. She recently announced that she had completed treatment for breast cancer.