Stephen Miller, architect of Trump’s immigration crackdown, to become White House chief of staff

The president announced the extraordinary appointment on Friday, confirming that Wiles – his current chief of staff and the first woman to serve in the role – had been ousted. Miller, 41, will begin his new position on Monday, while Wiles, 69, reportedly handed in her resignation on Thursday night.

In a social media post, Trump called Miller one of my most trusted advisors and praised Wiles for doing an outstanding job. Wiles said in her own post that serving Trump "has been the honor of a lifetime." She added that her commitment to "the President and the mission" will not change.

Trump's explanation

Holding an umbrella, Trump emerged from the White House South Portico on Friday for a trip to Florida. "I wanted to make a change," he said. "I think Susie's done a very good job ... Stephen's been great, and we've got to make moves."

"Stephen's been with me from the beginning. He gets it," the president said. "Very good politically and he's a very good man. He'll do a great job. Great manager." Trump then boarded Marine One helicopter, followed by Miller, secretary of state Marco Rubio and close aide Natalie Harp.

Miller's controversial record

Miller is one of the most polarizing figures in the administration and one of Trump's closest and longest-serving advisers, having joined his 2016 presidential campaign as a speechwriter. He is a former aide to former senator Jeff Sessions of Alabama, who served as Trump's first attorney general.

In Trump's first term, Miller was the driving force behind policies such as family separation and a travel ban on Muslim-majority countries. More than a hundred Democrats in Congress signed a letter calling Miller a "documented white nationalist" and demanding his removal. A 2020 biography of Miller was entitled Hatemonger.

He saved America from a corrupt political class. He saved America from open borders. He saved America from countries that want the American way of life to end, from foreign adversaries, from domestic adversaries.

Political implications

Miller's appointment is the first sign of a shake-up at the White House following Republicans' catastrophic defeat in the midterms. His record as a far-right firebrand implies Trump is preparing for an aggressive fight against congressional Democrats' oversight and investigations.

Chris Whipple, author of The Gatekeepers, told CNN: It's almost a declaration of war by Trump ... He [Miller] only knows one gear and that's full-throttle, full steam ahead over the cliff. Democratic strategist David Axelrod added on X: "For those who hoped the @POTUS might pivot to work with the incoming Congress, the appointment of Miller is a bucket of ICE cold water."

Wiles led Trump's 2024 presidential campaign to victory and was credited with bringing discipline to a chaotic effort. Her departure came months after she indicated she no longer showed evidence of breast cancer after undergoing treatment. Critics said Miller's appointment showed Trump had learned the wrong lessons from the electoral results.