Trump appoints Stephen Miller White House chief of staff after midterm defeat
Trump has picked his longtime aide to lead his staff. It comes just days after his party lost Congress.
WASHINGTON, Nov 10 – Donald Trump has picked Stephen Miller to be his new chief of staff. He made the call on Friday, just days after his party lost both houses of Congress in the midterm vote.
Miller will replace Susie Wiles, who was the first woman to hold the position.
Trump announced the change in an online post. He described Miller as one of the people he trusts most and praised Wiles for doing an outstanding job, saying she would now join his political team. The transition was set to take effect on Monday.
Miller was quick to reply: “The mission now is clearer than ever,” he said.
He is 41. He has been at Trump’s side since the first run for the White House in 2016, and he has stayed through both terms. Few aides can say that. Since 2025, he has been the deputy chief of staff. But he has had a say in far more than that title suggests, and he has had the president’s ear.
So what does the change mean? Not a new path, a White House official said. The official said Trump has no plan to rethink his policies. He wants to reward the people who have been most loyal to him, the official said.
Trump did say this week that he could work with the other side in Congress. Still, some of his own officials said the pick points to a harder line. They said it shows he wants to push on with his plans on immigration and other issues.
And Trump was not happy before the vote. His poll numbers had dropped close to record lows, and he was upset with his political and press staff. This week he told people the White House had to be more aggressive, according to a person briefed on the talks.
Immigration is where Miller has left his biggest mark. He set a goal of 3,000 arrests a day. To hit it, masked officers went into towns and cities across the country. They picked up more and more people with no criminal record. Some had lived in the United States for decades.
It is not a popular policy. Only 36% of Americans back it, but it may not change.
Four immigration officials told Reuters they see no sign of it slowing down: “Nothing is changing, same quotas,” one of them said.
Miller also played a central role in Trump’s efforts to reduce the federal workforce. Tens of thousands of government employees lost their jobs in 2025. He has also led the administration’s confrontations with universities and overseen the drafting and implementation of Trump’s executive orders, giving him deep familiarity with the powers available to a president acting without Congress.
Some people close to the White House believe Trump may now rely more heavily on executive orders to advance his agenda.
Not every Republican is pleased with the appointment. Representative Don Bacon of Nebraska, who is leaving Congress, said he and other lawmakers had warned Miller before the vote that the administration’s immigration and tariff policies were costing them support among voters. According to Bacon, Miller did not listen.
“It’s going over like a lead balloon in most of Congress,” Bacon said.
Others within Trump’s circle welcomed the move. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth posted that “patriots” were now in charge, while longtime Trump ally Roger Stone also praised the decision.
“I think Donald Trump has found his wartime consigliere,” Stone said.
On foreign policy, Miller has supported the administration’s deadly strikes on boats allegedly carrying drugs in the Caribbean and the Pacific. He has also praised military action against Iran. However, three people familiar with his thinking told Reuters that he does not want the conflict with Iran to become prolonged.
Some business lobbyists are concerned about the change. They say Wiles maintained close relationships with senior corporate executives and was willing to listen to their concerns. They do not believe Miller will take the same approach.
As chief of staff, Miller will serve as the administration’s gatekeeper. The role involves managing the White House staff, shaping the president’s daily schedule, coordinating with federal agencies, and negotiating with members of Congress.
Wiles held the position longer than any of Trump’s previous chiefs of staff. During his first term, Trump went through four chiefs of staff, reflecting the often turbulent nature of the role.
