Key points
- President Donald Trump said on Friday that Stephen Miller, 41, will become White House chief of staff on Monday, replacing Susie Wiles, Reuters reported.
- Wiles, 69, gave Trump her resignation on Thursday night, a person familiar with the events told the Associated Press. She was the first woman to hold the post and Trump's longest-serving chief of staff.
- Miller is deputy chief of staff for policy and homeland security adviser, and a key architect of the administration's hard-line immigration policies, the Associated Press reported.
- The midterm AP Voter Poll found about six in ten voters said the administration's immigration enforcement actions had gone too far, the Associated Press reported.
- Wiles will move to Trump's political operation, Trump said, after he praised her for doing "an outstanding job", Reuters reported.
President Donald Trump has named Stephen Miller as his new White House chief of staff, replacing Susie Wiles in the first major staff change since his Republican Party lost control of Congress in Tuesday's midterm elections. Trump announced the move on Friday, calling Miller "one of my most trusted advisors" in a social media post, Reuters reported, and the change takes effect on Monday.
Miller, 41, has been one of Trump's longest-serving aides, joining his long-shot 2016 presidential campaign as a speechwriter. He most recently served as White House deputy chief of staff for policy, and also as homeland security adviser, the Associated Press reported. Trump told reporters as he left the White House on Friday: "Stephen has been with me from the beginning. He gets it; very good politically. He'll do a great job. Great manager."
The key figures
| Measure | Figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Stephen Miller's age | 41 | Associated Press |
| Susie Wiles' age | 69 | Associated Press |
| Change takes effect | Monday 9 November 2026 | Reuters |
| Chiefs of staff in Trump's first term | Four | Associated Press |
| Voters saying immigration enforcement went too far | About 6 in 10 | Associated Press (AP Voter Poll) |
| Wiles' resignation | Thursday night, 5 November 2026 | Associated Press |
Miller, the immigration architect
Miller is best known as the architect of the administration's hard-line immigration policies, the Associated Press reported, including expanded deportations, tighter asylum rules and stronger border enforcement. He has also been a major part of the administration's anti-fraud task force targeting benefit programmes and a decision to suspend Microsoft and others from a green-card programme, the Associated Press reported.
During the midterm campaign, Miller took frequent partisan swipes at Democrats on social media and promoted unfounded theories about election fraud in California and Alaska, the Associated Press reported. The immigration policies he is so closely associated with were a major liability for Republicans in the election just fought: the midterm AP Voter Poll found that most voters, about six in ten, said the administration's immigration enforcement actions had gone too far, and that they disapproved of how Immigration and Customs Enforcement had handled its responsibilities.
Wiles: the first woman in the job
Wiles, the veteran Florida operative who joined Trump's team during his 2016 presidential bid, was the first woman ever to serve as White House chief of staff and the longest-serving in Trump's tenure — he cycled through four of them during his first four-year term, the Associated Press reported. She has been credited with steering the most disciplined of his three presidential bids.
Her departure also came months after she said she no longer showed evidence of breast cancer after months of treatment for the disease, a diagnosis she went public with in March 2026, the Associated Press reported. In a social media post shortly after Trump's announcement, Wiles said: "Serving President Trump in the White House has been the honor of a lifetime. I'm so proud to have been a part of what we've accomplished together from securing our border and cutting taxes to strengthening our economy and putting America First."
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What it means for the next two years
The shuffle signals that Trump is resisting a conciliatory approach to the Democratic lawmakers who are eager to investigate the administration — including Miller himself as a top target — as he prepares to face a newly empowered Democratic Congress next year, the Associated Press reported.
Democrats reacted sharply. Representative Robert Garcia of California, who is set to become chairman of the House Oversight Committee, said: "Just days after the American people rejected his corrupt and lawless presidency, Donald Trump is doubling down." Garcia called Miller "the architect of the unconstitutional ICE raids", the Associated Press reported.
What happens next
Miller takes over as chief of staff on Monday, 9 November, Reuters reported. Wiles will continue to work for Trump's political organisation, Trump said. Trump praised Wiles on Friday as having done a "very good job, great job", the Associated Press reported, adding: "Sometimes in life, you have to make moves."
Europe Unfolded will report on the handover, and on how the new Congress approaches the administration, as they are confirmed.
Updates & corrections
Published 7 November 2026.
No updates or corrections have been made to this article since publication.
Sources
- Associated Press, "Stephen Miller replaces Susie Wiles as Trump's White House chief of staff after GOP's midterm defeat", 6 November 2026, on Trump saying on Friday that Miller was replacing Wiles, Miller's age of 41 and his roles as deputy chief of staff for policy and homeland security adviser, Wiles giving Trump her resignation on Thursday night, Wiles being the first woman to serve in the post and Trump's longest-serving chief of staff, the four chiefs of staff in Trump's first term, Wiles' social media statement, her breast cancer diagnosis in March 2026 and later saying she showed no evidence of cancer, Miller's 2016 campaign role, his immigration policies and the AP Voter Poll finding that about six in ten voters said immigration enforcement had gone too far, Trump's remarks about Miller and Wiles, and Representative Robert Garcia's response: kxl.com
- Reuters, "Trump promotes Stephen Miller to post of chief of staff", 6 November 2026, on Trump saying on Friday he was promoting Miller to become his top aide, Wiles moving to his political operation, the shift taking effect on Monday, and Trump calling Miller "one of my most trusted advisors": reuters.com
- USA Today, "Meet Stephen Miller, Trump's new chief of staff and longtime adviser", 6 November 2026, on Miller becoming chief of staff on 9 November, replacing Wiles: usatoday.com