Susie Wiles concluded her tenure as White House Chief of Staff on Friday, just three days after Republicans experienced significant losses in the House and Senate. President Donald Trump announced the appointment of Stephen Miller, a long-serving aide known for his work on immigration policy, as her successor on Truth Social. Miller, 41, who previously served as Wiles’s deputy, is scheduled to assume the role on Monday.
"I think Susie’s done a very good job, great job." President Donald Trump.
The shake-up followed a period of intense internal scrutiny within the administration after Tuesday's election results. Sources familiar with the situation described a tense confrontation between President Trump, 80, and Wiles, 69, in the Oval Office on Thursday afternoon. One source close to the president reported, "He exploded at her." Another source familiar with the exchange added that President Trump "told her to leave." Multiple accounts from White House sources claimed President Trump continued yelling until Wiles departed and ordered her out. However, a White House official offered a contrasting perspective, stating, "He would never yell at Susie." Deputy Chief of Staff Dan Scavino and Morgan Dewitt-Snow, who manages the White House personnel office and is close to Wiles, were reportedly present during this meeting. Following the encounter, a source indicated that Dewitt-Snow appeared visibly shaken and sought out Wiles elsewhere in the West Wing.
Wiles had reportedly been forewarned about her potential dismissal. A fourth source stated someone had informed her she was about to be fired, leading her to tender her resignation to President Trump on Thursday night. According to a White House official, President Trump did not immediately accept her resignation, suggesting they would revisit the matter. By Friday morning, he had still not responded. Wiles returned to the Oval Office, emphasizing the need for a resolution. She requested a transition period extending until February, two sources told the Daily Mail. President Trump, however, desired a more immediate change, making Friday her final day in the position.
A White House official characterized Wiles's state of mind by saying, "She’s tired. She didn’t want to keep fighting." This explanation was disputed by a source close to the president, who called it a "lie." This source highlighted Wiles’s weekend calendar, which included a Saturday offsite at Camp David, intended for White House officials and aides loyal to her. Two sources suggested this gathering was planned to strategize how she could retain her position through the week. The trip was subsequently delayed and ultimately canceled.
Internal efforts to deflect blame for the election losses reportedly focused on Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. Three sources indicated that Wiles’s allies attempted to attribute the Republican setbacks to Hegseth's leadership role in the Iran war, which they argued had contributed to rising living costs. A senior Pentagon official commented, "Susie was trying to push out Pete." President Trump himself acknowledged the war's impact on the election outcome, using the term "bluenami" and noting that voters "weren’t willing to deal with the short term consequence of paying more for gasoline." Advisers reportedly informed President Trump on multiple occasions that Wiles’s team was leaking negative information about Hegseth to divert attention from her. "I think eventually enough people talked to him that he got very upset," a source close to President Trump said.
Critics of Wiles also pointed to the financial aspects of her political operations. A senior administration official stated that the political apparatus she managed consumed nearly half a billion dollars while failing to secure victories in either chamber of Congress. A source told the Daily Mail that Wiles had confidently predicted Republican midterm victories six weeks prior to the election. Despite this, Wiles retained a base of support within the administration. "A lot of people love her, a lot of people hate her," a senior administration official remarked, noting that Wiles controlled which information reached the president's desk, a fact resented by her detractors.
Wiles has been a prominent figure at President Trump’s side since 2016, ascending to the Chief of Staff role after directing the 2024 campaign that secured all seven battleground states. In his public announcement, President Trump praised Wiles, stating she "has done an outstanding job" and is "moving over to the Trump Political Operation." Wiles subsequently posted on social media that Friday was her last day, writing, "Serving President Trump in the White House has been the honor of a lifetime."
Immigration policy emerged as another point of contention. A source familiar with internal deliberations indicated that Wiles advocated internally for limiting deportations primarily to individuals convicted of or wanted for violent crimes. She reportedly conveyed to colleagues that an expansive mass deportation campaign was costing Republicans votes. Notably, President Trump has appointed Stephen Miller, the architect of the administration’s immigration crackdown, to succeed her. A Trump official at the State Department commented on Miller’s appointment, saying, "I don’t know that there is anyone to the right of Stephen Miller on immigration." This official added, "The guys who deport people are going to be excited." Before selecting Miller, President Trump reportedly considered Director of National Intelligence Jay Clayton, EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin, and Bill Pulte. Ambassador to India Sergio Gor also signaled his availability. Miller, President Trump’s longest-serving aide, has worked with him since the 2016 election and was chosen in part for his vow to help end the Iran war. Speaking to reporters on Friday, President Trump reiterated, "I think Susie’s done a very good job, great job." As President Trump boarded his helicopter on the South Lawn, he declined to answer a reporter's question about how it felt to lose the election.
