President Donald Trump announced that Susie Wiles is stepping down as his White House chief of staff, with deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller set to take over the post starting Monday, November 9, 2026. Wiles said Friday was her last day in the job, and Trump said she would move to his political operation.
The shake-up was confirmed in multiple reports Friday, including by POLITICO, which reported that a senior White House official said Wiles resigned Thursday night. Trump said Wiles had “done an outstanding job” and would be moving into his political operation, according to the outlet.
Wiles herself confirmed the timeline, saying, “Today is my last day as White House Chief of Staff,” according to CBS News. The outlet also reported Trump's statement that Miller “will become the Chief of Staff starting Monday, November 9, 2026.”
A Veteran Florida Operative Steps Back
Wiles, a longtime Florida political operative, ran Trump's 2024 presidential campaign and has served as his chief of staff since his first day back in the White House, per the same CBS News account. The Tampa Bay Times noted her Florida roots in reporting on her exit from the West Wing's top staff job.
The New York Times described Wiles as the first woman to hold the top staff job in the West Wing, underscoring the historic nature of her tenure. The paper also reported that her departure makes her the highest-ranking White House official to leave following the midterm elections, which cost Republicans their House and Senate majorities.
Miller's Rise and the Midterm Backdrop
Miller is widely regarded as an architect of the administration's immigration crackdown. The New York Times described him as “the powerful domestic policy adviser who has helped drive the administration's immigration crackdown,” and said his promotion alongside Wiles's exit would fundamentally shift the circle of advisers around Trump.
Three sources familiar with the matter told CBS News that Wiles's resignation was tied to Republican midterm defeats, though that explanation has not been confirmed as an official reason for her departure. Her exit adds a striking data point to the historically brief tenures of White House chiefs of staff: a 2009 report from the White House Transition Project found that 19 people had served in the role since 1969, with an average tenure of about two years.
With Miller set to take the reins Monday, attention now turns to how the staffing change will reshape the day-to-day operation of Trump's West Wing, and what role Wiles will play going forward in his political operation.
