Susie Wiles is leaving as White House chief of staff after staggering Republican losses in the midterm elections and will be replaced by Stephen Miller, a key adviser who helped shape the Trump administration’s illegal immigration crackdown.
Speaking with reporters at the White House on Friday, Mr. Trump said he had to shake things up following the midterms.
“I think Susie’s done a very good job, great job, but I just wanted to [do] it. Stephen’s been great, and we got to make moves. Sometimes in life you have to make moves,” he said.
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He said he expected Mr. Miller to “just run things well.”
“Stephen has been with me from the beginning,” Mr. Trump said. “He gets it, very good politically, and he’s a very good man. He’ll do a great job. Very good manager.”
The president announced the change on social media and said Ms. Wiles will be moving over to the Trump political operation.
Ms. Wiles called working with Mr. Trump in the White House “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,” Ms. Wiles wrote on social media.
“While my role may be changing, my commitment to the President and the mission never will,” she said.
Her exit is a sharp reversal for Ms. Wiles, who was widely credited with bringing discipline to Mr. Trump’s successful 2024 campaign and became the first woman to serve as White House chief of staff.
She is also the second-longest-serving of Mr. Trump’s five chiefs of staff, dating back to his first term. Ms. Wiles lasted nearly two years, falling just a few days short of Mark Meadows, who was Mr. Trump’s chief of staff from March 2020 until the end of his first term in January 2021.
Ms. Wiles is the highest-ranking White House official to leave in the aftermath of the midterm elections Tuesday, in which Republicans lost majorities in the House and Senate in voters’ sharp rebuke of Mr. Trump’s policies.
The blowout will cause headaches for Mr. Trump and administration officials when the Democratic-controlled Congress takes over in January. Democrats have promised vigorous investigations of the Trump administration.
Mr. Trump had expressed confidence in Ms. Wiles, even as it was clear his party was going to be blown out in the midterm elections. Just two weeks before the elections, Mr. Trump emphatically denied reports that he was considering firing Ms. Wiles, declaring there was “zero chance” he would replace her.
“I could not be more happy with Susie. She’s done a great job from day one,” he said. “Susie is here and she’s going to be here for a long time.”
With Mr. Miller, the president has elevated the architect of some of his administration’s most controversial policies, including his illegal immigration crackdown, bid to acquire Greenland and military intervention in Venezuela.
Mr. Miller also championed the dismantling of diversity, equity and inclusion programs and advocated for aggressive federal action against protesters.
Mr. Miller also played a significant role in shaping the administration’s use of military force against suspected drug-smuggling vessels and has pushed for an expansive interpretation of executive power.
Democrats and immigration groups blasted the choice of Mr. Miller.
Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, New York Democrat, who is poised to be the next speaker of the House, said Mr. Miller should be fired, not promoted.
“Stephen Miller is a dangerous xenophobe and reckless extremist who has American blood on his hands,” Mr. Jeffries said. “His presence in government should be eradicated like a malignant tumor.”
Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer, New York Democrat, said it shows Mr. Trump “learned nothing from Republicans’ Election Day losses.”
“Stephen Miller is the architect of the most barbaric, inhumane policies of this administration,” he said. “Trump couldn’t have made a worse choice. Our Democratic majorities will fight him every step of the way.”
Ms. Wiles’ departure comes after several high-profile conservative figures called for her removal after the election.
Just hours before her departure was announced, former White House adviser Steve Bannon called for her ouster.
In an interview with British journalist Steven Edginton, Mr. Bannon declared that Ms. Wiles should be “removed immediately” because of the historic losses suffered by the GOP in the midterms.
“I think that you have to look to people like Susie Wiles, the chief of staff, and the political consultants that are there … because of the results, they should be removed and removed immediately,” Mr. Bannon said.
Mr. Bannon joins a growing chorus of conservatives who demanded Ms. Wiles’ resignation or firing in the aftermath of the midterms. They’ve accused her of mismanaging Mr. Trump’s political strategy and failing to protect his agenda.
Caroline Sunshine, a former Trump White House aide, told Fox News this week that Ms. Wiles “needs to resign.”
“I’m going to say publicly what a lot of people are saying privately. Susie Wiles needs to resign,” Ms. Sunshine said. “She needs to offer her resignation to the president before he has to ask for it.” Ms. Sunshine argued that Wiles’ campaign skills had not translated into governing and described the Republican losses as preventable.
Other conservatives who have joined the calls for Ms. Wiles’ removal include Derrick Evans, a former Republican West Virginia state lawmaker, who declared that Wiles “should resign immediately.” Conservative commentator J.D. Rucker urged Mr. Trump to fire her, arguing that the president needed a more aggressive chief of staff to navigate the political challenges ahead.
Far-right activist Nick Fuentes also demanded Wiles’ dismissal, declaring that she “should be fired tomorrow.” Bill Hennessy, a co-founder of the St. Louis Tea Party Coalition, similarly wrote that “Susie Wiles has to go.”
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