Stephen Miller replaces Susie Wiles as White House chief of staff after the midterm defeat
Trump named Stephen Miller White House chief of staff on 6 November 2026, three days after the midterms. Susie Wiles moves to his political operation.
The essentials: President Donald Trump announced on Friday 6 November 2026 that Stephen Miller, one of his longest-serving aides and the architect of his immigration policy, will become White House chief of staff. Miller replaces Susie Wiles, who resigned on the Thursday night and is moving to Trump’s political operation. The change, announced on Truth Social, takes effect on Monday 9 November and is the biggest shake-up of the president’s team since Republicans’ losses in the 3 November midterm elections.
What did Trump announce?
In his Truth Social post, Trump called Miller “one of my most trusted advisors”, according to CBS News and Fox News. “Susie Wiles, who has done an outstanding job, will be moving over to the Trump Political Operation,” he wrote, as quoted by CBS News.
Speaking to reporters shortly afterwards, Trump explained the decision in a few words. “I wanted to make a change,” he said, according to CBS News. “Sometimes in life, you have to make moves.” He described Miller as “very good politically”, the Associated Press reported.
Why is Susie Wiles leaving?
Wiles handed in her resignation on Thursday night, 5 November, according to a US official and a senior White House adviser quoted by CBS News, and to sources quoted by the AP and Fox News. Three people familiar with the matter told CBS News the departure was linked to the Republican midterm defeats.
According to CBS News, Wiles had planned to stay through the lame-duck session of Congress and leave around the end of the year or early next year, but the president brought her exit forward. A White House official described the decision to Fox News as “very amicable”.
“Today is my last day as White House Chief of Staff,” Wiles wrote on X, as quoted by CBS News and Fox News. “Serving President Trump in the White House has been the honor of a lifetime,” she added, according to the AP.
| Susie Wiles | Stephen Miller | |
|---|---|---|
| Age | 69 (AP) | 41 (AP) |
| Before | Ran Trump’s 2024 campaign; first woman to serve as White House chief of staff | Speechwriter on the 2016 campaign; deputy chief of staff for policy and homeland security adviser |
| Known for | Running the White House since the first day of Trump’s second term | Architect of the immigration enforcement and deportation programme (CBS News) |
| Next role | Trump’s political operation | Chief of staff from 9 November 2026 |
Who is Stephen Miller?
Miller has worked for Trump since the 2016 campaign and is one of his closest and most loyal aides, according to CBS News. Most recently he served as deputy chief of staff for policy and homeland security adviser, and ran an anti-fraud task force targeting benefit programmes, according to the AP.
Miller thanked “the incomparable Susie Wiles” on X and said his “mission is more clear than ever”, CBS News reported. An administration official told Fox News he was “a great pick”.
How have Democrats reacted?
Sharply. Democrats won control of both chambers of Congress in the midterms (our article) and will take over in January. According to CBS News, they have vowed to step up pressure on Miller.
“Donald Trump learned nothing from his historic defeat,” Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer wrote on X, as quoted by CBS News. He called Miller “the architect of the most barbaric, inhumane policies of this administration”. House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries called him “a dangerous xenophobe and reckless extremist”. Representative Robert Garcia, in line to chair the House Oversight Committee, said Miller “should lawyer up”, according to CBS News and the AP.
What does it change?
The appointment suggests no change of course on immigration. An AP VoterPoll survey found that about six in ten midterm voters thought immigration enforcement had “gone too far”, the AP noted. With Miller at the head of the White House staff, the administration is heading into two years of divided government with one of the architects of that policy in its most powerful staff post.
