Trump Names Stephen Miller White House Chief of Staff

A major personnel change is reshaping Donald Trump's administration after Republicans suffered sweeping defeats in the midterm elections. On Friday, November 6, 2026, the president announced that Stephen Miller would replace Susie Wiles as White House chief of staff, with the transition scheduled to begin Monday.

Miller, who previously served as deputy chief of staff and a leading domestic policy adviser, has been one of Trump's closest political allies. His appointment places a central architect of the administration's immigration crackdown in its most influential staff position.

According to Trump's announcement on Truth Social, Miller has earned a prominent role through years of service in his administration.

"One of my most trusted advisors," Trump said, describing Miller.

The president also outlined Wiles's next assignment, indicating that she would remain connected to his political operation rather than continue managing the White House staff.

"Who has done an outstanding job, will be moving over to the Trump Political Operation," Trump said about Wiles.

Wiles became the first woman to serve as White House chief of staff. She played a central role in Trump's 2024 election victory and had developed a close working relationship with the president, according to The New York Times.

Her departure follows Republican losses that transferred control of both the House and Senate to Democrats. The election results also intensified internal tensions as the administration prepared for congressional investigations into its policies and decisions.

The political fallout has placed particular attention on Wiles's influence over the administration's fundraising and policy decisions. Calley Means, a former senior federal health official who resigned two weeks earlier after disagreements with the White House, criticized her in an interview with podcaster Joe Rogan.

Means accused Wiles of yielding to "unrelenting" pressure from industry lobbyists while prioritizing political fundraising over public health. He specifically raised concerns about decisions involving children's diets, flavored e-cigarette approvals and proposed restrictions on kratom products, which are sometimes described as "gas station heroin."

During the interview, Means described conversations he said he had repeatedly held with Wiles about the administration's financial priorities.

"Susie said to me many times: 'We need money for the midterms, Calley. We need money for the midterms,'" Means said.

Means, an ally of Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and a contributor to the Make America Healthy Again movement, also challenged Wiles's professional relationships with major industries.

"Spent her career taking money," Means said of Wiles, criticizing her past connections to pharmaceutical and pesticide companies and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Wiles and the White House were not immediately available to comment on Means's allegations. The administration and the Department of Health and Human Services have previously maintained that their health policy decisions serve the interests of the American public.

Wiles was diagnosed with breast cancer in early 2026 but continued working while receiving treatment. She recently announced that she was cancer free, according to The New York Times.

Miller's appointment comes as Democrats prepare to investigate the administration's immigration policies, an area in which he has played a central role. He previously worked for Trump during his first presidential campaign and served throughout the president's first four years in office.