Trump names Stephen Miller White House chief of staff, replacing Susie Wiles

A reshuffle three days after the midterms

On Friday, 6 November 2026, Donald Trump announced on Truth Social that Stephen Miller would become White House chief of staff, taking over from Susie Wiles, who is moving to the president's political operation. Miller, until now deputy chief of staff, is due to take up the post on Monday, 9 November 2026. Trump described him as one of his most trusted advisers and thanked Wiles, saying she had done an outstanding job in the role. The announcement came three days after Republicans suffered a heavy defeat in the midterm elections, and it is the first significant reorganisation at the White House since that result.

What the midterm defeat changed

According to NEWS 24/7, Republicans lost control of both the House of Representatives and the Senate, while iefimerida reported that Democrats secured a majority in both chambers. Several outlets read the reshuffle as a sign that the result amounts to a rebuke of Trump's policies since his return to the presidency. Earlier in the month, asked whether Wiles would be replaced, Trump had said the odds were zero and that she would remain in her post for a long time. Her move to the political operation therefore goes against that earlier assurance.

Who Stephen Miller is

Miller, 41, is widely regarded as the architect of the hardline immigration policy that Trump has pursued, and he has advised the president since the first term. He appears regularly in front of cameras to back up Trump's statements, and has at times attacked journalists. His rhetoric echoes a far-right argument that migration threatens the decline of the West. According to the Wall Street Journal, in May 2025 Miller directed ICE to expand its operations because the number of daily deportations trailed the level recorded the year before under Joe Biden. In Los Angeles, that push led to an ICE raid on a store that sparked fierce clashes, and Trump ultimately ordered troops deployed despite opposition from California Governor Gavin Newsom.

Influence and reputation

Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy told the New York Times shortly before Trump's inauguration in January 2025 that Miller was the brain behind Trump. The book Regime Change describes his influence as enormous and says he does not hesitate to attack even his own colleagues. The reporting says his collaboration with Trump began in 2015, during Trump's first presidential campaign. Over the past year Miller has taken on a wide range of domestic policy questions and has argued for a broad reading of the president's executive powers.

Wiles's exit and what comes next

Wiles, 69, was among the most influential figures in the administration and had close ties to the president. She was the first woman to hold the chief of staff post, and she had earlier led Trump's 2024 election campaign. She recently completed treatment for breast cancer. In a written statement, she said she was proud of what the team achieved together, from securing the border and cutting taxes to strengthening the economy and advancing America First. She added that her role may change, but her commitment to the president and his mission will not. Miller takes over the post on Monday, 9 November 2026, while Wiles moves into the political team, and the reports do not detail her new responsibilities.