Stephen Miller, Donald Trump’s most controversial aide and the architect of his sweeping immigration crackdown, will become his new White House chief of staff days after Republicans lost control of the US Congress in US midterm elections. The president announced the extraordinary appointment on Friday, confirming that Susie Wiles – his current chief of staff, and the first woman to serve in the role – had been ousted. In a social media post, Trump called Miller, 41, “one of my most trusted advisors” and praised Wiles for doing “an outstanding job”.
Miller will begin on Monday. Wiles, 69, reportedly handed in her resignation on Thursday night and said in a social media post that serving Trump “has been the honor of a lifetime”. Holding an umbrella, Trump emerged from the White House South Portico on Friday for a trip to Florida.
Stephen’s been great, and we’ve got to make moves.” “Stephen’s been with me from the beginning. He gets it,” the president said. Great manager.” Trump then boarded the Marine One helicopter, followed by Miller, secretary of state Marco Rubio and close aide Natalie Harp.
In a statement, Wiles added: “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 said her commitment to “the President and the mission” will not change. Miller’s appointment is the first sign of a shake-up at the White House following Republicans’ catastrophic defeat in the midterms. His record as a far-right firebrand implies that Trump is preparing for an aggressive fight against congressional Democrats’ oversight and investigations.
Chris Whipple, author of The Gatekeepers: How the White House Chiefs of Staff Define Every Presidency, told CNN: “It’s almost a declaration of war by Trump … He [Miller] only knows one gear and that’s full-throttle, full steam ahead over the cliff.” David Axelrod, a veteran Democratic strategist, added on X: “For those who hoped the @POTUS might pivot to work with the incoming Congress, the appointment of Miller is a bucket of ICE cold water.” Miller is one of the most polarising figures in the administration and one of Trump’s closest and longest-serving advisers, having joined his 2016 presidential campaign as a speechwriter. He is a former aide to the former senator Jeff Sessions of Alabama, who would go on to serve as Trump’s first attorney general. In Trump’s first term, Miller was the driving force behind policies such as family separation and a travel ban on Muslim-majority countries.
More than a hundred Democrats in Congress signed a letter to Trump calling Miller a “documented white nationalist” and demanding his removal. A biography of Miller, written by journalist Jean Guerrero in 2020, was entitled Hatemonger. Miller has served as deputy chief of staff since Trump’s return to the presidency in January 2025.
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