Trump announces campaign manager Susie Wiles as White House chief of staff

CNN
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Donald Trump announced Thursday that his campaign manager, Susie Wiles, will be named his White House chief of staff.

“Susie Wiles just helped me achieve one of the greatest political victories in American history and was an integral part of both my successful 2016 and 2020 campaigns,” the president-elect said in a statement.

“Susie is tough, smart, innovative and is universally admired and respected. Susie will continue to work tirelessly to Make America Great Again. It is a well-deserved honor to have Susie as the first ever female Chief of Staff in US history. I have no doubt she will make our country proud,” Trump added.

CNN reported earlier Thursday that Wiles was considered the front-runner for the job, but had some reservations about the role and had given Trump certain conditions before she accepted, a source said. At the top of the list was more control over who can reach the president in the Oval Office.

“The clown car cannot enter the White House at will,” the source said. “And he agrees with her.”

During Trump’s first term, his chiefs of staff struggled to prevent a roving group of informal advisers, family members, friends and other interlopers from entering the White House to meet with him. Trump is often swayed by the case of whoever he talks to last, a fact well known in his circle and one that made life difficult for his top aides.

Wiles was widely credited with leading what was seen as Trump’s most sophisticated and disciplined campaign, which included keeping many of the fringe votes in his orbit at bay.

For most of the campaign, she was in charge of the flight manifest for Trump’s private jet—a thankless job that required her to close access to the former president when he wouldn’t say “no” to anyone himself. At times, she also had to confront Trump about keeping certain people at bay — though her failure to prevent far-right provocateur Laura Loomer from joining the former president at a debate and a 9/11 memorial service created a significant setback for her boss. .

The daughter of the late NFL broadcaster Pat Summerall and a seasoned political operative from Florida, Wiles is one of the longest-serving advisers in Trump’s orbit. After helping him win Florida in 2020, she served as his de facto chief of staff during his post-presidency and then ran his campaign for the entire race — a rare feat in Trump world.

On election night, Trump credited Wiles during his victory speech, though she declined to address the crowd gathered at the Palm Beach Convention Center, turning the microphone over to co-campaign manager Chris LaCivita instead.

Her willingness to stay in the background has endeared her to Trump and his allies, several of whom have already publicly endorsed her for the job.

“Susie Wiles ran Trump’s best campaign of the three, and it wasn’t very close,” Turning Point USA CEO Charlie Kirk wrote X. “She’s disciplined, she’s smart, and she doesn’t seek the limelight. She would make an incredible chief of staff. The president and America would be well served with Susie in that key role.”

This story and headline have been updated with Trump’s announcement of Wiles.