Donald Trump’s decision to replace Susie Wiles with Stephen Miller as White House chief of staff has triggered sharp criticism, after Republicans suffered major losses in the midterm elections.
The president announced that Mr Miller would take over the powerful role on Monday, while Ms Wiles would move to the Trump Political Operation, which handles campaigns.
Mr Trump praised Ms Wiles for doing an “outstanding job” and said she had been a great chief of staff. Ms Wiles thanked him on X, describing the opportunity as “the honor of a lifetime”.
She also congratulated Mr Miller and said she was confident he would continue advancing the president’s agenda.
The announcement came days after Democrats made significant gains in the midterms, prompting questions about Republican campaign strategy and who should bear responsibility for the results.
Criticism of Stephen Miller appointment
Former representative Marjorie Taylor Greene said Ms Wiles’s new position in the president’s political operation would leave Republicans with a “0 percent chance” of winning the 2028 presidential election.
Fox News anchor Bret Baier said Mr Trump’s choice of Mr Miller indicated that the president was “girding for a battle” following the losses. He said Ms Wiles had privately anticipated a possible shake-up after the election results, while Mr Miller’s influence over immigration and deportation policy signalled the administration’s priorities for the next two years.
David Axelrod, the Democratic strategist and former senior adviser to Barack Obama, also condemned the move. “Few did more to contribute to the debacle the GOP just endured than Stephen Miller,” he wrote. “The backlash to his brutal ICE raids and nativist rants can be seen in returns all over the country. And for that, he’s promoted?”
Indiana representative Marlin Stutzman had reportedly been calling for Mr Miller to be fired since the election losses, according to Semafor reporter Nicholas Wu. Mr Wu described the promotion as a “horrible decision”.
The appointment was welcomed by senior figures in the administration, however. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Ms Wiles had served the country with “exceptional strength, devotion, and grace” and had done an “incredible job” working for Mr Trump.
Mr Rubio described Mr Miller as one of the president’s “most trusted and longtime advisors” and said he looked forward to working with him to advance the administration’s agenda.
Vice President JD Vance thanked Ms Wiles for her friendship and service to Mr Trump and the country, while calling Mr Miller an “amazing patriot” and his promotion “well deserved”. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth offered a brief endorsement of the change, saying: “Patriots in control.”
Former White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt defended Ms Wiles, describing her as one of the “kindest and toughest” people she had known. She said Ms Wiles, the first woman to serve as chief of staff, had led the most productive start to a presidency in decades while battling breast cancer.
Ms Leavitt nevertheless called Mr Miller the “perfect choice” to succeed her former boss, praising his loyalty and commitment to Mr Trump’s America First movement. She said she had “complete confidence” that he would make the final two years of the president’s term a success.
Conservative lawyer and Trump ally Mike Davis also praised Ms Wiles, saying she had served the president “extremely effectively” for years and helped lead his comeback after 2020. He described Mr Miller as “the perfect man for the moment” and Trump’s “wartime general”.
