Trump names Stephen Miller chief of staff after midterm defeat
Seven Lights
President Trump announced Friday that Stephen Miller, his deputy chief of staff and the architect of his immigration crackdown, would replace Susie Wiles as White House chief of staff, less than a week after Republicans’ defeat in the midterm elections.
“Stephen Miller, the current Deputy Chief of Staff of the Trump Administration, and one of my most trusted advisors, will become the Chief of Staff starting Monday, November 9, 2026,” Mr. Trump wrote on Truth Social. He said Ms. Wiles would move to the Trump Political Operation, which includes his super PAC, MAGA Inc.
Ms. Wiles submitted her resignation Thursday night, according to Axios. Her departure was a mutual decision driven by Tuesday’s election results, for which the president had blamed her, the outlet reported. Ms. Wiles offered to quit over two days before she resigned, and Mr. Trump accepted on Friday. In a statement posted to X, she said serving Mr. Trump “has been the honor of a lifetime. I’m so proud to have been a part of what we’ve achieved.”
Mr. Miller, a senior adviser and longtime aide, has directed the administration’s deportation policy since the president’s first term and founded the legal advocacy group America First Legal. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. welcomed his promotion on social media.
The change signals the president’s answer to voters, who rejected his agenda by electing Democrats across competitive statewide races, including Senate and gubernatorial contests in Texas. Mr. Trump is trading one of his few moderating influences for an ideologue, Axios observed, suggesting no retreat on the crackdown that polls show has become unpopular. Congressional Democrats demanded documents on the immigration operation’s contracting and called for oversight hearings.
Mr. Miller takes over a White House preparing for the lame-duck session of Congress and a cabinet reshuffle the president has said is coming. His first test as chief of staff arrives with the Senate’s confirmation fights in January.