After a disastrous performance in the midterm elections, Trump sent a clear message to the outside world with a personnel adjustment: he has no intention of changing his policy direction.
According to Reuters, U.S. President Trump announced on Friday the appointment of long-time confidant and current Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller as White House Chief of Staff, replacing Susie Wiles. This appointment will officially take effect on Monday. A White House official candidly stated, "He will not change direction"—despite the midterm election results this Tuesday showing that tens of millions of American voters cast dissenting votes against Trump's domestic and foreign agenda.
Miller's promotion comes after the Republican Party suffered a significant loss of control in both houses of Congress, with Democrats set to dominate the House of Representatives and Senate, and they have announced plans to launch extensive congressional investigations into the Trump administration. According to analysis from The Wall Street Journal, this personnel change is the clearest signal so far that Trump intends to maintain his core positions during the final two years of his presidency rather than seek compromise with Democrats.
Hardliners Take Control of the Core
Miller, 41, is one of the few core staff members to continue from Trump's first term to the present. During Wiles's tenure as Chief of Staff, he exerted influence over Trump’s domestic agenda that extended beyond his official position as Deputy Chief of Staff.
He is best known for pushing the Trump administration's aggressive immigration enforcement actions—setting daily arrest targets at 3,000 and deploying masked immigration enforcement officers into communities across the country, with the target audience increasingly expanding to include people with no criminal records who have lived in the U.S. for decades. However, this policy is unpopular among the public. According to a poll completed by Ipsos this week, only 36% of respondents expressed support, while 54% were explicitly opposed.
In other areas of domestic policy, Miller is also a key driving force in reshaping the federal bureaucracy, with actions that could lead to the dismissal of tens of thousands of civil servants by 2025 closely associated with him. He is also a major driving force behind the government's opposition to universities, diversity programs, and other institutions.
Hard Stance on Foreign Policy, Uncertain Congressional Relations
In foreign policy, Miller is a public supporter of Trump's deadly military strikes against suspected drug trafficking vessels in the Caribbean and Pacific, despite legal concerns raised by the action. He has also defended U.S. and Israeli strikes against Iran, supporting the use of maritime blockades and sanctions to weaken Iran. However, given that the economic impact of a potential war with Iran has already cost Republicans in this election, his current position remains unclear.
Marc Short, who served as Chief of Staff to Vice President Pence during Trump's first term, stated that Miller is a person "deeply tied to the President" who is willing to confront Congress on issues like immigration policy and congressional investigations. "That doesn’t mean there are high expectations for bipartisan legislation," Short said in an interview.
Miller has worked on Capitol Hill for many years, including as a senior advisor to then-Alabama Senator Jeff Sessions; this experience may be beneficial after Democrats take control of Congress, but the challenges he faces will be extremely difficult.
Wiles Departs, Business Community Loses Important Communication Channel
Wiles submitted her resignation on Thursday evening and will move to Trump's political operation. The 69-year-old Florida political veteran is the first woman to serve as White House Chief of Staff in U.S. history, known for bringing operational discipline and seen as a voice of reason within the White House.
According to The Wall Street Journal, Wiles was not only the Chief of Staff but also a key liaison between the business community and the White House. Several prominent business executives indicated that Wiles and Treasury Secretary Mnuchin were the two crucial figures they believed would listen to business opinions. With Wiles's departure, communication channels between the business community and the White House are expected to narrow significantly.
During his first term (2017-2021), Trump changed Chiefs of Staff four times, which is unusually high among past presidents. With hardliner Miller stepping in, there is widespread expectation that the relationship between the White House and Congress, as well as with the business community, will become more adversarial. House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries referred to Miller as a "reckless extremist" on social media, and House Oversight Committee Chief Democrat Robert Garcia stated that the Democrats plan to investigate Miller's immigration policies and warned him that "he better get a good lawyer."
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