Driving the news: Wiles submitted his resignation Thursday evening. Sources told Axios that his departure was a mutual decision, but motivated by Tuesday’s election results, for which Trump blamed him.
- Sources said Trump on Wednesday began expressing unease over the scale of midterm losses and the money spent by his political team. Wiles offered to resign for two days before resigning. Trump accepted his decision on Friday.
- Trump hasn’t asked for her resignation, said a knowledgeable source who spoke with Wiles, “but he couldn’t get it out of his head that she was to blame, not him.”
- “Susie could have stuck around, but what’s the point?” said this person. “Whether it’s right or wrong, Susie knows that serving the president means it’s up to her. And if she couldn’t change how he felt, there was no reason to stay.”
What they say: “I am pleased to announce that Mr. Stephen Miller, the current Deputy Chief of Staff in the Trump Administration, and one of my most trusted advisors, will become Chief of Staff effective Monday, November 9, 2026,” Trump wrote on Truth Social, adding that Wiles would join the Trump political operation.
- Wiles said in a statement released to X that “serving President Trump in the White House has been the honor of a lifetime. I am so proud to have been a part of what we accomplished together.”
- Miller also responded to the news on X, writing that “President Trump is the most transformative political leader in American history – and he single-handedly saved America from those who would destroy it.” He also thanked Wiles for his years of “dedicated service.”
- “The mission is now clearer than ever: to fight with all our soul to support our President and defend this magnificent Republic,” Miller wrote.
Zoom: Miller, who served in Trump’s first administration, was already Wiles’ equal in some ways. No one in the Trump administration knows the levers of power, the workings of the White House, and the bold use of executive power better than he does.
- The architect of Trump’s explosive first hundred days in office, Miller worked on plans to maintain a muscular White House, even in the face of large Democratic majorities.
- “Trump needs to prepare for war against the Democrats in Congress with all the investigations they’re going to launch, and Stephen is a wartime advisor,” a Trump adviser explained.
Zoom out: Wiles is widely considered the most powerful person in the White House outside of the president himself, and she achieved something few in her orbit could: earn his trust, influence his decisions and bring discipline to an administration defined by infighting and historic upheaval.
- She was Trump’s longest-serving chief of staff and enjoyed an extraordinary level of trust from Trump, often being the last person he consulted before making major decisions.
- Her departure also ends the tenure of the first woman to hold a position of power.
Between the lines: Wiles’ strength was understanding how to manage Trump rather than trying to control him.
- She avoided public confrontations, voiced disagreements privately, and sought to implement Trump’s priorities rather than restrict them.
- But his influence had limits. She was a critical voice against the war in Iran and repeatedly questioned the harsh immigration tactics advocated by Miller.
Point of friction: Ironically, the Trump decisions she opposed — the war in Iran and the brutality of immigration enforcement — led to Tuesday night’s midterm bombings that caused the president to lose confidence in her.
Editor’s note: This story has been updated with additional information.
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