President Donald Trump has named Stephen Miller, the architect of his hardline immigration crackdown, as White House chief of staff, replacing Susie Wiles in the most significant personnel shake-up of his second term — just three days after Republicans lost control of Congress in the midterm elections.
Trump announced the change on Friday, November 6, in a post on his Truth Social platform, saying Miller — currently a deputy chief of staff — would take over on Monday, November 9. Wiles, the first woman to serve as White House chief of staff, will move to Trump's political operation.
"I am pleased to announce that Mr. Stephen Miller, the current Deputy Chief of Staff of the Trump Administration, and one of my most trusted advisors, will become the Chief of Staff starting Monday, November 9, 2026," Trump wrote. "Susie Wiles, who has done an outstanding job, will be moving over to the Trump Political Operation."
A shake-up after a midterm rout
The overhaul comes after a historic midterm rebuke on November 3, in which Democrats won control of the House and the Senate. According to USA Today, Democrats won House districts that had voted for Trump by double digits in 2024 and flipped Senate seats in historically Republican states including Texas, Kansas and South Carolina.
Wiles became a target of blame within Trump's own coalition in the days after the vote. Steve Bannon, Trump's former chief strategist, said hours before the announcement that Wiles and the president's political consultants "should be removed and removed immediately" because of the results. Two sources close to the administration told USA Today that Wiles was being blamed for the midterm outcome after she failed to change its trajectory.
CNN reported, citing two sources familiar with the matter, that Wiles submitted her resignation on Thursday evening. One person familiar with her thinking said she decided to resign believing Trump should be able to tap someone to lead his White House who had his confidence, after he made clear at a tense election-night reception in the East Room that he blamed her for the losses.
Trump publicly denied the change was driven by the election result. "It's just time. Sometimes you change," he told reporters late on Friday, adding: "I think Susie's done a very good job, great job. Stephen's been great. We've got to make moves. Sometimes in life, you have to make moves."
The chief of staff is the most powerful staff job in the White House — the gatekeeper who controls access to the president, manages the flow of decisions and enforces discipline across the administration. Whoever holds it shapes what reaches the president's desk and what does not.
Who is Stephen Miller?
Miller, 41, is one of Trump's longest-serving and most influential advisers. He has worked for Trump since his first presidential campaign, which began in 2015, and wrote Trump's first immigration policy paper as a campaign staffer that year. Trump has repeatedly described him as one of his most trusted aides.
"Stephen's been with me from the beginning," Trump said on Friday. "He gets it, very good politically. He'll do a great job. Great manager."
Since the start of Trump's second term in January 2025, Miller has served as deputy chief of staff for policy and as homeland security adviser. According to CNN, he has widened his portfolio over the past year to include wide swaths of domestic policy and has advocated for an expansive view of executive power.
He is best known as the driving force behind the administration's immigration enforcement agenda, including a deportation campaign that has cast a wide net on arrests, including targeting people with no criminal records, according to CNN. Last year, CNN reported, Miller directed Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials to meet daily quotas of 3,000 immigration arrests — an unprecedented number the agency struggled to meet. The White House and the Department of Homeland Security have repeatedly denied that arrest quotas exist.
On Friday, Miller posted on X: "It has been the privilege of my lifetime to have served on his team from Day One, and I am honored beyond words to serve as his White House Chief of Staff." He added: "The mission now is more clear than ever: Fight with all of our soul to support our President and defend this magnificent Republic."
Wiles: the "Ice Maiden" who outlasted them all
Wiles, 69, previously worked on all three of Trump's presidential campaigns and was his co-campaign manager during the successful 2024 run. She was credited with helping steer Trump to a major legislative win in a closely divided Congress with the 2025 passage of his sweeping tax and spending package, known as the Big, Beautiful Bill.
Nicknamed the "Ice Maiden" by admirers for her reputation for staying cool under pressure, she lasted longer in the chief of staff's job than any of the four chiefs of staff Trump cycled through during his first term. Her approach, CNN reported, was not to seek to fundamentally alter how Trump carried out the job, but to use influential figures within his orbit to shape his governing agenda.
She was diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer in March and announced in September that she was cancer-free after treatment. In a statement on X on Friday, Wiles called serving Trump "the honor of a lifetime" and said she was "proud to have been a part of what we've accomplished together."
"While my role may be changing, my commitment to the President and the mission never will." — Susie Wiles, in a statement on X, November 6
Wiles is the latest in a series of prominent women to depart Trump's administration and be replaced by a man, according to CNN — following the departures of the attorney general, the labour secretary and the homeland security secretary, among others.
Reactions: praise from allies, fury from Democrats
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth welcomed the appointment, calling Miller an "American First fighter" who "never backs down" in a post on X. A Department of Homeland Security official told CNN: "Trump got his MAGA mojo back." Some Homeland Security officials expressed disbelief, while others welcomed the change.
Democrats condemned the move. Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said in a statement: "Donald Trump learned nothing from his historic defeat. Stephen Miller is the architect of the most barbaric, inhumane policies of this administration. Trump couldn't have made a worse choice. Our Democratic majorities will fight him every step of the way."
Immigrant advocates also criticised the promotion. "Despite the historic defeat at the ballot box, the president is doubling down on the very policies that do little to improve the lives of Americans," said Héctor Sánchez Barba, president and CEO of Mi Familia Vota, which works to mobilise Latino voters.
Some White House officials told CNN the change left them concerned about the rest of Trump's second term. "Susie keeps the trains running on time. I don't know what this looks like moving forward," one official said. Another Trump ally called her departure a "catastrophic loss" for the president.
Miller is already a top target for the incoming Democratic-controlled Congress. Representative Robert Garcia, the ranking member on the House Oversight Committee, reaffirmed on Friday that Miller would be a focus of oversight, saying: "Stephen Miller should lawyer up."
What the appointment signals
The promotion is widely read as a sign that Trump does not intend to change course after the midterm defeat. USA Today described it as the most significant White House personnel move of Trump's second term, signalling that he is not ready to retreat from his agenda despite an incoming Democratic-controlled Congress.
Trump also signalled on Friday that more changes could follow, telling CBS News "I do" when asked whether he intended to fire people. "I love my Cabinet. I think they're good. But I'll be doing maybe a few changes. I don't want to mention who," he said.
| Key dates | What happened |
|---|---|
| November 3, 2026 | Midterm elections: Democrats win control of the House and Senate |
| November 5, 2026 (evening) | Wiles submits her resignation, according to CNN sources |
| November 6, 2026 | Trump announces Miller as chief of staff on Truth Social; Wiles confirms her final day on X |
| November 9, 2026 | Miller formally takes over as White House chief of staff |
Frequently asked questions
When does Stephen Miller take over?
Monday, November 9, 2026. Trump announced the change on November 6, and Wiles said that Friday was her final day as chief of staff.
What happens to Susie Wiles?
According to Trump, she is moving to the "Trump Political Operation". Her specific responsibilities there have not been specified.
Why was Wiles replaced?
Trump said publicly the change was "not because of the election" and that it was "just time". But the move came three days after Republicans' midterm losses, and CNN and USA Today reported, citing sources close to the administration, that Wiles was blamed by Trump and his allies for the result.
What does the chief of staff actually do?
The chief of staff runs the White House: managing staff, controlling access to the president, coordinating policy and enforcing discipline across the administration. It is widely regarded as the most powerful staff position in the West Wing.
Will Miller face scrutiny from Congress?
Almost certainly. With Democrats taking control of the House, the Oversight Committee's ranking member has already said Miller will be a top target for investigation, particularly over the immigration enforcement programme he designed.
Key takeaways
- President Trump has named Stephen Miller, the architect of his immigration crackdown, as White House chief of staff, effective Monday, November 9.
- Susie Wiles, the first woman to hold the job, resigned on Thursday evening and moves to Trump's political operation.
- The shake-up follows Republicans' historic midterm losses, with Wiles blamed by Trump allies — though Trump publicly denied the election drove the decision.
- Miller, 41, has been with Trump since his first campaign in 2015 and has shaped virtually all major policy in the second term, not only immigration.
- Democrats condemned the appointment and signalled Miller will be a top oversight target for the incoming Democratic Congress.
What to watch next
All eyes will be on Monday, when Miller formally takes the chief of staff's office — and on whether Trump's hinted further personnel changes materialise. The transition will also test how the White House operates without Wiles, whom even critics credited with keeping the administration running smoothly. And with Democrats preparing to take control of Congress, Miller's first weeks in the job are likely to be defined as much by oversight hearings and subpoenas as by the policy agenda he now helps run.
