Trump names Stephen Miller as White House chief of staff

President Donald Trump said Friday that Stephen Miller will replace Susie Wiles as White House chief of staff. Trump said Wiles would move to his political operation, according to Bloomberg. The change comes three days after Democrats won control of the House and Senate in the midterm elections. The incoming majorities take office in January.

Two advisers with different roles

Wiles was the first woman to serve as White House chief of staff. She helped run Trump’s 2024 campaign and has held the White House post since he returned to office in January 2025.

Miller joined Trump’s first presidential campaign as a speechwriter and served as a senior adviser in his first administration. In Trump’s second term, he has served as deputy chief of staff for policy and homeland security adviser. He has helped design the administration’s immigration policies, including its push to increase deportations.

What the chief of staff controls

The chief of staff manages the White House staff and helps determine what information reaches the president and who gets time with him. The appointment puts Miller in a position to coordinate across policy and political teams as the White House prepares to deal with a Congress controlled by the other party.

The leadership change leaves the president with the same formal powers. Congress still controls federal appropriations, and new legislation generally requires agreement between the House, Senate and president. Those constraints will shape the choices available to the White House when the new Congress takes office.