Donald Trump named Stephen Miller as his new White House chief of staff on Friday. He replaces Susie Wiles after Republicans lost control of the US Congress in the midterm elections.
The announcement followed Wiles submitting her resignation on Thursday night. Trump confirmed the appointment on social media, calling the 41-year-old Miller one of his most trusted advisers and praising Wiles for doing an outstanding job. Miller, who has served as deputy chief of staff since January 2025, will begin his new role on Monday.
Speaking to reporters outside the White House South Portico on Friday before a trip to Florida, Trump explained the decision. "I wanted to make a change," he said. "I think Susie’s done a very good job. Stephen’s been great, and we’ve got to make moves." The president added that Miller had been with him from the beginning. "He gets it. Very good politically and he’s a very good man. He’ll do a great job. Great manager."
Wiles, the first woman to serve as White House chief of staff, said in a statement that serving Trump had been the honour 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," she stated. She added that her commitment to the mission would not change.
Wiles led Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign to victory and brought discipline to the effort. She is also the longest-serving chief of staff for Trump, who cycled through four chiefs during his first four-year term. Her departure follows months after she revealed she underwent months of treatment for breast cancer.
Miller is widely known as the architect of Trump’s immigration crackdown. This includes first-term policies such as family separation and a travel ban on Muslim-majority countries. Over a hundred congressional Democrats previously signed a letter calling him a documented white nationalist and demanding his removal. A 2020 biography of Miller by journalist Jean Guerrero was titled Hatemonger.
Political analysts and opponents reacted swiftly to the appointment. Chris Whipple, author of The Gatekeepers, told CNN that the move was almost a declaration of war by Trump, stating that Miller only knows one gear and that is full throttle. David Axelrod, a veteran Democratic strategist, posted on X that the appointment was a bucket of ice cold water for those hoping the president might pivot to work with the incoming Congress.
Critics argued that the appointment showed Trump had learned the wrong lessons from the electoral defeat. Becca Balint, a Democratic congresswoman from Vermont, posted on X that the American people voted against the administration’s policies, asking what Trump does in response. "He promotes Stephen Miller, the architect of some of this administration’s worst decisions," she wrote.
Anthony Scaramucci, a former White House communications director, also reacted on social media, suggesting Trump saw the midterm results and decided elevating Miller was the answer. Miller will assume his new duties on Monday.
