Stephen Miller takes over White House chief of staff role
The move follows the Republican loss in Tuesday's midterms and comes months after Susie Wiles announced she was cancer-free.
By Nadia Rahman ·
Stephen Miller will serve as the next White House chief of staff. President Donald Trump announced the personnel change on Friday, placing Miller in the top operational role of the executive branch. This decision follows directly from the political results of Tuesday’s midterm elections, where Republicans ceded control of Congress in what observers have termed a blue tsunami.
Susie Wiles, who held the position until now, steps down but remains active in the president’s political organization. Trump praised her on social media, noting that she would continue working for his political group. Wiles was the first woman to occupy this specific role. She also holds the record for the longest tenure in the position during Trump’s current term. By comparison, the president used four different chiefs of staff during his first four years in office.
Miller has operated as a central figure in the president’s inner circle. He is widely credited with shaping the administration’s hardline immigration policies. His promotion signals a consolidation of that policy influence at the top of the White House hierarchy.
Wiles’ time in the role ended months after her medical update. In March 2026, she publicly disclosed a breast cancer diagnosis. After undergoing several months of treatment, she later indicated that she no longer presented evidence of the disease. Her departure from the chief of staff post is linked to the immediate aftermath of the midterm defeat rather than her health status, which had improved.
The transition takes place against the backdrop of a new congressional majority for the opposing party. The White House now prepares for a period of divided government. Miller assumes the duties of coordinating the administration’s legislative and operational agenda as of Friday.
