Key facts
- Trump announced the change in a Truth Social post and named Stephen Miller as Wiles's replacement.
- Wiles said her role as chief of staff "has been the honor of a lifetime."
- Trump told reporters: "I wanted to make a change."
- The announcement came days after midterm elections gave Democrats control of both chambers of Congress.
- Harmeet Dhillon, head of the justice department's civil rights division, resigned a day before the Wiles announcement.
President Donald Trump said on November 6, 2026, that Susie Wiles, the first woman to serve as White House chief of staff, will leave her post, and named the immigration hardliner Stephen Miller as her replacement. Trump announced the change in a post on Truth Social and discussed it with reporters the same day.
"I wanted to make a change," Trump told reporters. "I think Susie's done a very good job ... Stephen's been great and we've got to make moves." Wiles, who reportedly handed in her resignation on the night of November 5, said her role "has been the honor of a lifetime" and cited border security, tax cuts and the economy among the administration's accomplishments.
The announcement came days after midterm elections gave Democrats control of both chambers of Congress. Wiles's departure leaves what the body describes as an overwhelmingly male leadership team.
The exit follows a series of departures of women from the administration. Press secretary Katie Zacharia was ousted five days after taking the role, and former homeland security secretary Kristi Noem and former attorney general Pam Bondi were dismissed, according to the body. Former national intelligence director Tulsi Gabbard reportedly resigned under pressure, and Kimberly Guilfoyle, the former US ambassador to Greece, has also left.
A day before the Wiles announcement, Harmeet Dhillon, head of the justice department's civil rights division, resigned. The body links that resignation to expectations that Democrats will use their congressional majority to investigate federal agencies, including the justice department, which the body says has been accused of being weaponized against Trump's political rivals.
Wiles, who was diagnosed with breast cancer, announced in September that she was cancer-free. Only a handful of women remain in Trump's cabinet, including agriculture secretary Brooke Rollins and Kelly Loeffler, head of the Small Business Administration, according to the body.