Trump names Stephen Miller as White House chief of staff

President Donald Trump announced Friday that Stephen Miller will assume the role of White House chief of staff on Monday. The change removes Susie Wiles from the position and places a key architect of the administration's immigration agenda at the center of daily operations.

Trump posted the news on social media, stating that Wiles is moving to the Trump political operation. He described Miller as a loyalist and a longtime adviser who helped shape the president's policies on immigration. The leadership shift occurs days after a midterm election in which Democrats secured majorities in both the House and the Senate.

As he left the White House on Friday, Trump told reporters he wanted to make a change in his top staff. He said Wiles had done a good job. However, sources told ABC News that Trump privately blamed Wiles for the midterm losses. Those sources said Wiles submitted her resignation Thursday night after she understood the president's frustration.

Wiles confirmed her departure in a social media post Friday. She described the role as the honor of a lifetime and said her commitment to the president and the mission would not change. Wiles was the first person Trump named to his staff after winning the 2024 election. She became the first woman to serve as chief of staff.

The president defended Wiles as recently as October, telling reporters she was staying for a long time. Before that, questions circulated about her future in the administration. Wiles served as campaign manager for Trump's entire 2024 run and was known for keeping a low public profile. She avoided social media and spoke infrequently to the press.

Wiles is a Florida native who previously advised Republican leaders such as Sen. Rick Scott and Gov. Ron DeSantis. She was pushed out of DeSantis's inner circle in 2019. She later joined Trump's team, which defeated DeSantis for the Republican nomination in 2024. During the 2025 year, Wiles gave a series of interviews to Vanity Fair, her only in-depth media appearance.

In those interviews, Wiles described the president's temperament and her own role in the administration. She noted that she had been outvoted on some issues, such as the day one pardons for January 6 rioters. She said she eventually got on board with those decisions. Wiles also revealed that she was diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer in March and declared herself cancer-free in September.

Miller has served as deputy chief of staff in the current administration. He was a key figure in the first Trump term, where he helped craft immigration rules that led to family separations at the border. After leaving the White House in 2021, Miller led America First Legal, a conservative legal organization. The group sued the Biden administration over immigration policies and won a ruling that struck down the Keeping Families Together program.

America First Legal was listed among the organizations associated with Project 2025, a blueprint for a Republican presidency that drew criticism from Democrats. Trump distanced himself from the project, and the group sought removal from its advisory board list. Miller's promotion places an immigration hard-liner in the most powerful non-elected position in the executive branch.

The transition marks a shift in the White House hierarchy following the recent election results. Wiles will focus on political operations, while Miller takes charge of the daily management of the administration. The new chief of staff begins his duties on Monday.