Trump elevates hardliner Stephen Miller as chief of staff after midterm defeat

WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump named trusted aide Stephen Miller as his chief of staff on Friday, giving the architect of some of his toughest domestic policies one of the most powerful jobs in Washington after Republicans lost control of Congress.

Miller, who will replace Susie Wiles, assumes the role as the president prepares to confront a Democratic-led House of Representatives and Senate, as well as a wave of congressional investigations into his administration.

A longtime proponent of expansive presidential authority, Miller takes over at a moment when the Republican Party's defeat in Tuesday's midterm elections could leave Trump more reliant on executive power to advance his domestic agenda.

In a social media post, Trump called Miller "one of my most trusted advisers" and praised Wiles for doing "an outstanding job". Trump said the change would take effect on Monday.

A White House official said Miller's appointment signalled that Trump had no intention of rethinking his policies and was instead rewarding his most loyal aides.

"He's not changing course," the official said, despite tens of millions of American voters repudiating Trump's domestic agenda and foreign policy this week.

While Trump said this week he was willing to work with Democrats on Capitol Hill, the elevation of Miller, known for being uncompromising, could suggest a more confrontational approach and a push to advance the president's agenda, several White House officials said.

Trump had been displeased with his political and communications operations in the run-up to Tuesday's election as his public approval ratings fell to near-record lows. This week, he said the White House needed to be "more aggressive" as Democrats retake congressional power, according to a person briefed on the matter.

Miller drove immigration crackdown

Miller, 41, is one of Trump's longest-serving aides and is among the few who served throughout his first and second terms in office.

Since Trump's return to the White House in 2025, Miller has officially served as deputy chief of staff under Wiles, but he has wielded outsize influence across much of Trump's domestic agenda and has had the president's ear.

He is perhaps best known for driving Trump's aggressive immigration crackdown, setting a target of 3,000 arrests a day. In pursuit of that target, federal immigration agents expanded their list of targets to include migrants who had been living in the US for decades.

He was also deeply involved in Trump's campaign to remake the federal bureaucracy, which led to the dismissal of tens of thousands of civil servants in 2025. He was also a driving force behind the administration's battles with universities, diversity programmes and other institutions.

Hakeem Jeffries, who is set to become the new Democratic speaker of the House, responded to the announcement of Miller's promotion by calling him a "reckless extremist" in a post on X.

Shake-up after election setback

The chief of staff typically wields great influence as the president's gatekeeper. The person manages White House staff, organises the president's time and schedule, and maintains contact with other government departments and lawmakers.

Wiles, 69, who submitted her resignation on Thursday night, will move to Trump's political operation, according to a White House official.

The veteran political operative from Florida was the first woman to serve as White House chief of staff.

She brought decades of political experience to the role and was regarded as running a more disciplined operation than some of Trump's previous top aides. She maintained her role even while undergoing treatment earlier this year for early-stage breast cancer.

Wiles rarely challenged Trump's policies but brought discipline to an often chaotic operation and was seen as a voice of reason. Her exit raises questions about who will play her role.

Trump went through four chiefs of staff — an unusually high number — during his 2017-2021 term, as they were seen to have struggled to rein in the unpredictable president.