President Donald Trump announced a stunning shake-up of his administration on Friday.
Susie Wiles, the chief of staff who helped steer Trump back into the Oval Office, is leaving the job. Her replacement is Stephen Miller, the longtime advisor who has been at Trump's side since his first campaign.
"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 on Truth Social. "Susie Wiles, who has done an outstanding job, will be moving over to the Trump Political Operation. I want to thank her for her service as Chief of Staff — She has done a great job!"
Trump's post was gracious, but the timing tells the real story. The announcement lands just days after the disastrous midterms. The GOP lost dozens of House seats and lost control of the Senate to Democrats. Even worse, Republicans lost races in deep-red states like Iowa, Kansas, Texas, and South Carolina. Those are places where the party should never have to break a sweat.
For sure, somebody was going to take the fall for a defeat that ugly. There were signs that Wiles was being pushed out, and the calls for her resignation grew louder by the day.
Former Trump staffer Caroline Sunshine went on television Wednesday and demanded that Wiles step aside before the president had to make the call himself.
"Susie Wiles needs to resign," Sunshine told Fox News's Jesse Watters. "She needs to offer her resignation to the president before he has to ask for it. Her campaign skills have not translated into governing. Susie was behind the historic win in 2024, and she deserved credit for it and got the top job for it."
“Susie Wiles needs to resign. She needs to offer her resignation to the president before he has to ask for it.” Caroline Sunshine tells @JesseBWatters that President Trump’s chief of staff should step aside, blaming White House leadership for Republican election losses and warning that the party’s current strategy could jeopardize its chances in 2028. Sunshine credits Wiles with helping deliver Trump’s 2024 victory but argues that campaign success has failed to translate into effective governing. Download the Fox News app or go to https://t.co/gPHiho5zni for more.
— Fox News (@FoxNews) November 5, 2026
Wiles earned a reputation as a brilliant campaign operative, and nobody can take the 2024 victory away from her. Running a campaign and running the West Wing call for different skills, though, and the midterm results suggest the White House political machine lost its edge somewhere along the way.
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Former White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney saw the change coming. Appearing on NewsNation's The Hill Sunday, he predicted Wiles would leave after the midterms.
"It's just a natural sort of time to make that change," Mulvaney said.
Wiles confirmed her exit in a farewell message Friday.
"Today is my last day as White House Chief of Staff," Wiles wrote on X. "Serving President Trump in the White House has been the honor of a lifetime. I'm so proud to have been a part of what we've accomplished together from securing our border and cutting taxes to strengthening our economy and putting America First."
She closed on a note of loyalty.
"More than anything, I'm grateful for the extraordinary people I've had the privilege of working alongside. While my role may be changing, my commitment to the President and the mission never will," she added.
Her move to the Trump Political Operation keeps her in the fold, which makes sense, as she did a great job managing his 2024 presidential campaign. Her talents fit the campaign world, and Trump clearly still values them.