Trump Appoints Stephen Miller as Chief of Staff After GOP Losses

President Donald Trump appointed Stephen Miller as White House chief of staff, effective November 9, 2026. Miller, the administration's primary architect of hard-line immigration and mass-deportation policies, replaces Susie Wiles, the first woman to hold the position. Wiles will transition to the Trump Political Operation following her resignation on Thursday night.

The leadership change follows a landslide midterm election defeat in which Republicans lost control of both the House and Senate. Democrats flipped key seats in historically red states, including Texas, where Gina Hinojosa became the first Democratic governor since 1994. While Trump publicly praised Wiles' service as "outstanding," reports indicate he privately blamed her and his political team for the electoral losses.

Democratic leaders, including House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, condemned the appointment. Jeffries called Miller a "dangerous xenophobe," while Schumer described him as the architect of "barbaric, inhumane policies." Some Republicans also criticized the move, with Senator Thom Tillis calling it a "colossal mistake" that ignores voter backlash.

Concurrent with the shake-up, Trump hosted a Diwali celebration in the Oval Office on November 7, where he received a copy of the Hanuman Chalisa from entrepreneur Vishal Gondal. The administration also faces ongoing legal challenges, including a court order blocking the construction of a proposed Triumphal Arch in Washington, D.C.