Stephen Miller takes over as White House chief of staff
Stephen Miller, the 41-year-old architect of Donald Trump’s hardline immigration and mass deportation policies, officially began his new role as White House chief of staff on Monday. Trump announced the appointment on Truth Social on Friday, naming his former deputy chief of staff to replace Susie Wiles. The promotion comes immediately after Republicans suffered widespread losses in the midterm elections, two years into Trump’s term.
The sudden change followed denials from administration officials that Wiles was departing, and drew sharp criticism from Democrats who accused Trump of ignoring the midterm electorate by elevating the mastermind of polarizing border policies. The move also came directly after Trump acknowledged in a weekend interview on CBS’s 60 Minutes that his deportation measures were regarded by many as "too tough."
Miller’s appointment accompanies broader staff departures, including that of deputy chief of staff Richard Walters, a close ally of Wiles. They follow the recent exits of other high-ranking officials such as Harmeet Dhillon in the justice department and press secretary Katie Zacharia, who lasted five days after succeeding Karoline Leavitt. Over the weekend, Trump also joked that he had offered the press secretary role to UFC head Dana White ahead of a Monday meeting.
Continue in the app — vote & join in ➔