Donald Trump Appoints Stephen Miller as White House Chief of Staff

President Donald Trump announced Friday, November 6, 2026, that Stephen Miller will replace Susie Wiles as White House chief of staff effective Monday, November 9. The leadership change follows a landslide midterm election defeat in which Republicans lost control of both the House and Senate, including losses in traditionally red states such as Kansas and South Carolina.

Miller, the current deputy chief of staff and architect of the administration's mass-deportation and immigration policies, is seen as a signal that the president will maintain a combative stance toward the incoming Democratic-led Congress. While Trump publicly praised Wiles for her service, reports indicate he blamed her and his political team for the election results and had begun excluding her from key hiring decisions.

Wiles, the first woman to serve as White House chief of staff, will transition to the Trump Political Operation. During her 21-month tenure, she was credited with bringing stability to the West Wing, though some reports suggest she exercised extraordinary control over policy. Simultaneously, former federal health official Calley Means accused Wiles of prioritizing industry lobbyists and fundraising over public health, alleging she blocked dietary improvements for children to secure funding from the sugar and tobacco industries.