Stephen Miller Becomes White House Chief of Staff, Replacing Susie Wiles, After Midterms

President Donald Trump named Stephen Miller White House chief of staff to replace Susie Wiles, with the promotion taking effect on a Monday after the midterm elections, which Democrats won. Miller had been deputy chief of staff for policy. Trump had acknowledged after the midterms that his immigration crackdown may have been too tough, but elevated Miller, the architect of his hard-line immigration policies, in the same week.

Meghan Bauer, who led Cabinet affairs, is leaving her role by the end of the year. White House spokesperson Allison Schuster said she will stay in the White House in a new role. Deputy Chief of Staff Richard Walters, a Wiles ally, resigned days earlier, and at least six people have left posts across the administration. Harmeet Dhillon, head of the Justice Department's civil rights division, was the first senior official to resign after the election. Asked about the shift, Trump said, 'Sometimes you change.'

Axios, citing two people familiar with the plans, reported that Miller wants to win back young and minority men who backed Trump in 2024 but swung toward Democrats in the midterms. Conservative Jewish groups welcomed the appointment, while Democratic critics said Jews would be less safe.

Right-leaning outlets treat the promotion as a story of partnerships and personnel change. Breitbart highlights Miller's work with Secretary of War Pete Hegseth on the Americas Counter Cartel Coalition, which launched in March at Southern Command in Doral, Florida, with 16 partners. It also covers crime crackdowns in Washington, Memphis and Louisiana, quoting a White House official who credits their work with making America safer. The Daily Mail instead leads with departures, including Bauer, Walters and Dhillon, and frames Miller's start as a 'new reign' sparking an 'exodus', quoting Schuster and Trump. Left-leaning outlets look at Miller's influence over policy. CNN examines the overlap between the legal nonprofit he founded and the White House. CBS asks what his promotion means for immigration policy after Trump's remarks. Neither mentions the departures or the Hegseth partnership in the excerpts. Alternative outlets add the reaction of Jewish groups and Miller's outreach to men.