Wiles leaves White House staff role

Susie Wiles, the first woman to hold the post of White House chief of staff, stepped down from her position on Friday. The departure marks a sharp shift in the composition of the president’s inner circle, which now operates without its longest-serving female executive. Her exit follows a pattern of high-level departures that has left the leadership team heavily skewed toward men.

The timeline of recent changes in Washington moved quickly over the past week. Democrats secured majorities in both chambers of Congress during the midterm elections on Tuesday. On Thursday night, Wiles reportedly submitted her resignation. By Friday morning, Trump had confirmed the move on Truth Social, naming Stephen Miller as her successor. Miller, a senior advisor known for his stance on immigration, takes over the day-to-day management of the executive branch.

Trump told reporters on Friday that he wanted to make a change. “I think Susie’s done a very good job … Stephen’s been great and we’ve got to make moves,” he said. Wiles responded with her own statement, describing the role as “the honor of a lifetime.” She cited specific policy goals, including securing the border, cutting taxes, and strengthening the economy, as reasons she felt proud of the work accomplished during her tenure.

Wiles had remained in her seat while several other senior female officials left the administration. She was diagnosed with breast cancer but announced in September that she was cancer-free. Trump had previously stated that she was “going to be here for a long time.” Her departure follows the ouster of Katie Zacharia, who served as press secretary for only five days, and the dismissals of Kristi Noem and Pam Bondi from their respective cabinet posts. Tulsi Gabbard and Kimberly Guilfoyle also left their positions in recent months.

The personnel shake-up extends beyond the White House into the Justice Department. Harmeet Dhillon, the head of the civil rights division, resigned the day before Wiles’s exit was announced. Other officials, including assistant attorney general John Eisenberg and attorney Jason Reding Quiñones, have also departed. These resignations occur as Democrats prepare to use their new congressional majorities to investigate federal agencies.

Only a few women remain in Trump’s cabinet, including Brooke Rollins, the agriculture secretary, and Kelly Loeffler, who leads the Small Business Administration. Natalie Harp, a 35-year-old political aide, continues to appear frequently at public events. She has previously written to the president calling him “my guardian and protector.”

The transition of power in the office of the chief of staff is immediate, with Miller stepping into the role that Wiles held since early in the administration. The change occurs against the backdrop of a new congressional landscape where the opposition party holds legislative power.