Stephen Miller Named White House Chief of Staff as Susie Wiles Exits After Midterms

President Donald Trump on Friday announced that White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller will take over as chief of staff, replacing Susie Wiles starting Monday. Trump posted the news on Truth Social, calling Miller one of his most trusted advisors and stating he wanted to make a change. Wiles resigned Thursday night after Trump grew angry following the GOP's major midterm election losses. Democrats recently won a landslide victory in the midterm elections, taking majority control of the House and Senate.

Resignation And Reactions

Wiles told Trump to make things easy and resigned, stating on X that serving in the White House was the honor of a lifetime while moving over to the Trump Political Operation. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Vice President JD Vance both congratulated Miller on X. However, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries strongly denounced the pick, calling Miller a dangerous extremist. David Axelrod noted that the appointment signals Trump will stay combative rather than pivot to work with the incoming Congress.

Wider Departures

This reshuffle follows several senior staff resignations in the Department of Justice since Election Day. Those departures include Harmeet Dhillon in the civil rights division, John Eisenberg in the national security division, and Jason Reding Quiñones. Wiles previously oversaw Trump's 2024 campaign and faced scrutiny in late 2025 following a Vanity Fair report regarding her remarks about Trump.

Context

White House chiefs of staff manage the president's schedule, staff, and policy implementation, making the role one of the most powerful positions in government. Major political shifts after midterm elections frequently trigger high-level staff changes as administrations recalibrate their strategies. Stephen Miller's background in immigration policy points toward a hardline focus for the remainder of the presidential term.