President Donald Trump has named Stephen Miller as his new White House chief of staff, replacing Susie Wiles in the first major staff shake-up since Republicans lost control of Congress in Tuesday’s midterm elections. Trump announced the change on Friday, 6 November 2026, saying Miller — the architect of his hardline immigration agenda — will take over on Monday, 9 November.
“I am pleased to announce that Mr. Stephen Miller, the current Deputy Chief of Staff of the Trump Administration, and one of my most trusted advisors, will become the Chief of Staff starting Monday, November 9, 2026,” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social. He added that Wiles, “who has done an outstanding job, will be moving over to the Trump Political Operation.”
| The transition at a glance | What is known |
|---|---|
| Announced | Friday, 6 November 2026, in a Truth Social post |
| Miller takes over | Monday, 9 November 2026 |
| Outgoing chief of staff | Susie Wiles, 69 — moves to the Trump Political Operation |
| Miller’s current roles | Deputy chief of staff for policy; homeland security adviser |
| Trigger | Republicans lost the House and Senate on 3 November 2026 |
A defiant choice after a midterm rout
The shake-up comes three days after Democrats’ historic midterm sweep handed them control of both chambers of Congress, a result that leaves Trump facing an opposition-controlled Congress for the final two years of his presidency. The new Congress does not take its seats until 3 January 2027, but the political consequences arrived immediately.
Choosing Miller, one of the most controversial figures of Trump’s second term, signals that the president does not intend to soften his agenda in response to the defeat. CNN reported that Wiles submitted her resignation on Thursday evening, after Trump voiced fury at the strategy behind the midterm losses, and that Friday was her last day in the job.
Wiles had also come under fire from Steve Bannon, Trump’s former chief strategist, and other allies after the results, according to USA Today. Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer was blunt about the appointment, saying: “Trump has learned nothing from his historic defeat.”
The timing adds another layer to Monday. Congress returns on 9 November, the same day Miller takes over, and Democrats led the national congressional ballot by 51.4 percent to 43.2 percent in the final polling average before the election — a lead the results confirmed. Democrats are widely expected to open investigations into Miller once they take control of the House and Senate in January, Al Jazeera reported.
From Santa Monica speechwriter to the West Wing’s gatekeeper
Miller, 41, was born on 23 August 1985 in Santa Monica, California, and graduated from Duke University in 2007. He began his political career the same year as press secretary for Minnesota Representative Michele Bachmann, before a similar role with Arizona Representative John Shadegg.
He joined the office of then-Alabama Senator Jeff Sessions in 2009 as press secretary and became communications director in 2014. While working for Sessions, he helped lead opposition to the Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act of 2013, a bipartisan overhaul that passed the Senate but stalled in the House.
Miller joined Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign as a senior policy adviser in January 2016 and quickly became one of its most influential voices on immigration. At the urging of Steve Bannon, he began writing speeches for Trump, helping to write the 2016 Republican National Convention acceptance speech and the 2017 inaugural address. USA Today’s profile of the incoming chief of staff traces that rise from Capitol Hill aide to the centre of Trump’s movement.
The policies — and controversies — that define him
During Trump’s first term, Miller helped develop some of the administration’s most contested immigration measures. Working alongside Bannon, he helped craft the early executive actions restricting travel from several predominantly Muslim countries, and he was a leading advocate of the family separation policy at the southern border.
His influence grew further after Trump returned to the White House in January 2025. As deputy chief of staff for policy and homeland security adviser, Miller drove the administration’s second-term immigration crackdown, including its push to invoke the Alien Enemies Act to deport people the administration accused of belonging to the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua — a move that triggered extensive legal challenges.
That record has also made him a frequent target of criticism. In 2019, the Southern Poverty Law Center reported that leaked emails Miller sent to a former Breitbart editor promoted material associated with white nationalist ideology. Miller, who is Jewish and the grandson of immigrants, has rejected accusations that he is a white nationalist.
What Wiles leaves behind
Wiles, 69, was the first woman to serve as White House chief of staff, and she had worked on all three of Trump’s presidential campaigns before taking the post at the start of his second term. Trump praised her repeatedly in his announcement, thanking her for her service and saying she had done “a great job”.
Her departure is the most significant White House personnel move of Trump’s second term, and the first major change since the midterms. Her move to the Trump Political Operation keeps one of the president’s most experienced operators inside his circle, even as Miller takes charge of the West Wing.
The family at the centre of Trump’s orbit
Miller’s wife, Katie Miller, has also held prominent roles in Republican politics. She served as press secretary to then-Vice President Mike Pence from October 2019 to May 2020, was communications director for former Arizona Senator Martha McSally, and more recently served as a spokesperson for the Department of Government Efficiency. In August, she launched “The Katie Miller Podcast”, a show aimed at Republican women.
Stephen and Katie Miller married in February 2020 and have four children: daughter Mackenzie and sons Jackson, Hudson and Hawthorne.
Stephen Miller as chief of staff: your questions answered
When does Stephen Miller become White House chief of staff?
Monday, 9 November 2026. Trump announced the appointment on Friday, 6 November, saying Miller would take over from Susie Wiles that day.
Who is Susie Wiles and where is she going?
Wiles, 69, was the first woman to serve as White House chief of staff. She submitted her resignation on Thursday evening, Friday was her last day, and she is moving to the Trump Political Operation.
Why did Trump replace his chief of staff now?
The change came three days after Republicans lost control of the House and Senate in the midterm elections held on Tuesday, 3 November 2026. Wiles resigned on Thursday evening, and Trump moved immediately to install Miller.
What is Stephen Miller best known for?
Immigration policy. He helped craft the first-term travel ban and the family separation policy, and in the second term he drove the push to invoke the Alien Enemies Act for deportations outside the normal immigration-court process.
Will Democrats investigate Miller?
Democrats are widely expected to launch investigations into Miller once they take control of the House and Senate in January 2027, according to Al Jazeera. The new Congress convenes on 3 January 2027.
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