Trump appoints adviser Stephen Miller as new White House chief of staff

United States President Donald Trump has announced that Stephen Miller is replacing Susie Wiles as White House chief of staff.

In a post on his Truth Social account on Friday, Trump said Miller would start his new job on Monday, calling him “one of my most trusted advisors”.

“Susie Wiles, who has done an outstanding job, will be moving over to the Trump Political Operation. I want to thank her for her service as Chief of Staff — She has done a great job!”

Miller has been one of Trump’s closest confidants across both his presidential terms, after joining the US president’s first election campaign as an adviser in 2016.

He has been the main architect behind the Trump administration’s hardline border and deportation policies, a rallying issue in the US midterm elections.

Democrats are widely expected to launch investigations into Miller upon taking control of the US House of Representatives and Senate in January.

Trump was widely expected to shake up his staff after the midterm drubbing, which saw Democrats net seven US Senate seats, with two states, Alaska and Mississippi, still counting their results. Democrats have also won 253 seats in the 435-member US House, with 27 races still set to be counted.

Despite the vote largely seen as a referendum on Trump, Miller’s appointment largely represents a doubling down on his most controversial policies.

Miller has not yet commented on the election results, but on election day, he urged Trump supporters to vote in a post on X.

“Send a message to the corrupt media, corrupt Democrats and corrupt left-wing politicians who want to steal your future and destroy the inheritance of your children,” he wrote. “Get to the polls and protect the ones you love.”

For her part, Wiles, who has been credited with orchestrating Trump’s election comeback in the 2024 race, said serving as a chief of staff was “the honour of a lifetime”.

“I’m so proud to have been a part of what we’ve accomplished together, from securing our border and cutting taxes to strengthening our economy and putting America First,” she said.