WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump named Stephen Miller his White House chief of staff Friday, replacing Susie Wiles days after Republicans lost control of Congress in the midterm elections.
Miller, 41, has been deputy chief of staff for policy and a central architect of the administration’s immigration enforcement agenda. His elevation places a longtime advocate of presidential executive power in charge of White House operations as Democrats prepare to control both chambers of Congress in January.
Trump announced the change as he departed Washington for Florida. He praised Miller’s political judgment and management abilities, according to the Associated Press. Wiles submitted her resignation Thursday night, a person familiar with the decision told the AP.
Wiles was the first woman to serve as White House chief of staff and had held the position since the beginning of Trump’s second term. She previously managed his successful 2024 campaign and was credited with bringing greater organizational discipline to his political operation. Trump said she would continue working for his political organization.
The appointment comes amid criticism of the administration’s immigration policies, with an AP voter survey finding that roughly six in 10 midterm voters believed enforcement actions had gone too far or disapproved of Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s handling of its responsibilities.
Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.) wrote on Bluesky “Trump’s elevation of Stephen Miller to White House Chief of Staff doubles down on the politics of hatred, lawlessness, and failure that the American people soundly rejected three days ago.”
Others were more succinct. Rep. Robert Garcia (D-Calif.) said “Stephen Miller should lawyer up.”
Garcia, a California Democrat expected to chair the House Oversight Committee, has identified Miller as a potential subject of congressional scrutiny.
