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Trump names Stephen Miller White House chief of staff, replacing Susie Wiles

Miller will start Monday, Nov. 9, after Democrats won both chambers in Tuesday's midterms, and Republican Sen. Thom Tillis calls the pick a "colossal mistake."

28 news outlets reported this
Liberal14 outletsRepublican alarm and Miller's hardline record after midterm defeatCenter3 outletsMiller's profile and his pledge of loyaltyConservative11 outletsMiller's loyalty and Jeffries' language against him
ABRAnews EditorialPublished 1 min read
Overview

President Donald Trump announced on Friday, Nov. 6, that Stephen Miller, the deputy chief of staff, will become White House chief of staff on Monday, Nov. 9. Susie Wiles, who has held the job since Trump returned to office, will move to the Trump Political Operation, Trump wrote on Truth Social. A White House official told The Daily Wire that Wiles resigned Thursday evening, while The Independent reports that Trump dismissed her.

The change follows Tuesday's elections, in which Democrats won control of and the . At Mar-a-Lago on Friday, Miller pledged his "absolute loyalty" to Trump. Trump called him "a great fighter," the Boston Globe reports.

Republican Sen. Thom Tillis told CNN that Miller was the "worst of all possible choices." A White House spokesperson pointed The Daily Beast to X posts praising the pick from seven Republican senators and 12 House members. Before Trump's announcement, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries wrote on X that Miller should be fired, calling him a "dangerous xenophobe."

Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto and Rep. Don Beyer, both Democrats, criticized the appointment itself. The Daily Beast reports that Democratic leaders have promised aggressive investigations of Miller and once they take control in January.

Key figures
  • seven Republican senators and 12 representativesRepublicans who praised Miller's appointment on X, per a White House spokesperson's listThe Daily Beast
  • 60 percentvoters who disapproved of how migration was handled before the midterms, per an ABC News pollThe Daily Beast

Three sides of the story

14Liberal3Center11Conservative

28 news outlets reported this

Tap a color or swipe sideways to switch sides.

Liberal14 outlets

Republican alarm and Miller's hardline record after midterm defeat

The Daily Beast leads with 'Republican horror': lawmakers 'reeling,' with Sen. Thom Tillis calling the pick 'a colossal mistake' and Rep. Marlin Stutzman 'a horrible decision.' It adds the White House's list of Republican supporters and Rep. Robert Garcia's line that Miller 'should lawyer up.' The Boston Globe's headline says the midterm defeat is 'no reason to back down' for Miller. It reports, citing people with knowledge of a call the day after the election, that he pressed officials on immigration without mentioning the results, and quotes Marc Short calling Miller 'intertwined' with Trump. The Philadelphia Inquirer runs a collection of Miller's past statements, including 'We are being conquered,' said in December 2023 about border crossings.

The Independent centers on Trump's 60 Minutes interview, where he spoke of 'maybe a few changes,' and says he dismissed Wiles after it was recorded. Correspondent Ross Douthat says Trump expressed willingness to work with Democrats on immigration reform, and he sees 'a slight tension' with the choice.

Center3 outlets

Miller's profile and his pledge of loyalty

The Hill's explainer reports that Trump announced Friday that longtime aide Stephen Miller will be his next chief of staff, succeeding Susie Wiles, who has held the role since Trump returned to office. It describes Miller as a hardliner on immigration and a Trump loyalist who has been at the president's side since his first campaign. A second Hill report says Miller, in short remarks Friday evening at a Mar-a-Lago event, pledged "absolute loyalty" to Trump and called the promotion the "honor of my life."

Conservative11 outlets

Miller's loyalty and Jeffries' language against him

Townhall's headline promises to explain why Miller replaced Wiles, and its text calls the move a shake-up. It cites a White House official telling The Daily Wire that Wiles resigned Thursday evening, a source close to the White House calling Miller a "war time consigliere," and Karoline Leavitt calling him the "perfect choice." The Daily Wire leads with Miller "all in" at Mar-a-Lago, quoting his pledge of "absolute loyalty" and his line "This man saved America."

It adds that Secretary of State Marco Rubio also spoke. RedState and Breitbart lead with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, who called for Miller to be fired and wrote that Miller's presence in government "should be eradicated like a malignant tumor." RedState calls the post "vile" and says it "reads like a threat."

Breitbart adds that Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto and Rep. Don Beyer also criticized the pick, and notes Jeffries' post came before Trump's announcement.

What a side did not mention
  • Liberal outlets did not mentionHouse Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries called for Miller to be fired Reported by RedState, Breitbart News
  • Liberal outlets did not mentionMiller pledged 'absolute loyalty' to Trump in remarks at Mar-a-Lago on Friday Reported by The Hill, The Daily Wire
  • Conservative outlets did not mentionSen. Thom Tillis and other Republican lawmakers criticized Miller's appointment Reported by The Daily Beast, The Boston Globe
All sources: 42 articles from 28 outlets

Liberal (20)

Center (8)

Conservative (14)

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  1. Trump names Stephen Miller White House chief of staff, replacing Susie Wiles
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  3. Trump names Stephen Miller White House chief of staff, replacing Susie WilesThis story
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  5. Trump floats immigration deal with Democrats, but their House leader won't work with Miller
Midterm elections

US elections halfway through a president's four-year term. The whole House, a third of the Senate and many governors are elected. In 2026 Election Day was November 3.

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House of Representatives

The lower chamber of Congress: 435 members elected every two years, with more seats for bigger states. It is the chamber that can impeach officials.

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Senate

The upper chamber of Congress: 100 senators, two per state, elected for six years. It confirms judges and ministers and approves treaties.

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ICE

Immigration and Customs Enforcement: the federal agency that arrests, detains and deports people who are in the US without legal status.

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