Miller Replaces Wiles as White House Chief
Trump swaps his longest-serving chief of staff for his top immigration architect days after the midterms.
By Nadia Rahman ·
President Donald Trump announced Friday that Stephen Miller is taking over as White House chief of staff. The decision arrives days after Republicans lost control of Congress in the midterm elections. Miller, 41, serves as the deputy chief of staff and is the primary architect of the administration's strict immigration policies. He replaces Susie Wiles, the first woman to hold the post and Trump's longest-serving chief of staff.
Miller has operated in the president's orbit since the 2016 campaign, when he joined as a speechwriter. Before that, he worked as a staffer on Capitol Hill for then-Sen. Jeff Sessions. During the recent midterm campaign, Miller targeted Democrats on social media, labeling them "extremists, freaks and America-hating lunatics." He also pushed theories about election fraud in California and Alaska.
Wiles, who steered Trump's 2024 comeback campaign, announced her departure on social media. She described serving the president as "the honor of a lifetime." Wiles noted that her role is changing but her commitment to the mission remains. She went public in March 2026 with a breast cancer diagnosis and indicated months later that she no longer showed evidence of the disease.
Trump told reporters he was making the change because "we've got to make moves sometimes." He praised Wiles as having done a "great job" and called Miller "very good politically." The president said Miller "gets it" and will be a "great manager." Trump is traveling to Florida following the announcement.
Democratic leaders in Congress reacted sharply to the swap. Rep. Adriano Espaillat of New York, chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, called the move "putting lipstick on a pig." He said voters rejected mass deportations and the targeting of Latino communities. Rep. Robert Garcia of California, who is in line to chair the Oversight Committee, warned Miller to "lawyer up." Garcia said the committee will investigate Miller for misconduct and fight his policies in the courts.
The political backdrop remains fluid as the Associated Press continues to count votes in narrow Senate races in Alaska and Mississippi. Democrats will hold at least 54 of 100 Senate seats next year, with the possibility of 56. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, likely to become majority leader, promised to block the president from installing a "right-winger" on the Supreme Court or "crappy nominees" in the federal judiciary and Cabinet.
Meanwhile, Secretary of State Marco Rubio is preparing for a trip to Paris next week. He will attend a Group of 7 foreign ministers meeting on Monday and Tuesday. The agenda includes the wars in Iran and Ukraine, as well as questions about the administration's posture toward allies following the election results.
