In a historic move, former President Donald Trump has appointed the first-ever female chief of staff, marking a significant milestone in his administration’s leadership structure.
US President-elect Donald Trump has appointed his campaign manager, Susan Wiles, as the White House chief of staff. This marks the first major appointment for his upcoming administration. The 67-year-old political strategist from Florida will be making history as the first woman to hold this position in US history.
The chief of staff is responsible for supervising the executive office of the US president. Traditionally regarded as the gatekeeper to the head of state, this role involves managing White House personnel and coordinating the president’s schedule and meetings.
“Susie Wiles played a crucial role in securing one of the most significant political victories in American history for me and was an essential part of my successful 2016 and 2020 campaigns,” Trump stated while announcing her appointment on Thursday.
“Susie is resilient, intelligent, and inventive; she is admired and respected by all. He added that Susie will keep working relentlessly to Make America Great Again.”
Wiles is regarded as a pivotal figure in Trump’s successful reelection campaign, credited with helping to maintain greater discipline within his team. Her political career began in 1980 when she served as the campaign scheduler for former President Ronald Reagan. Over the years, Wiles has managed several campaigns, including Ron DeSantis’ run for Florida governor in 2018. She later played a crucial role in assisting Trump to defeat DeSantis during this year’s primary elections.
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Wiles is viewed as a subtle, behind-the-scenes influence since she seldom appears in the media or at public events—a point even Trump has noted. During his victory celebration in Florida on Tuesday night, Trump mentioned that Wiles “prefers to remain in the background” and referred to her as an “Ice Maiden” because of it.
During his first term, Trump went through four chiefs of staff and later stated that hiring the wrong people was his biggest mistake. Yet, in a Fox News town hall held in September, he mentioned that he has since learned who the “right” individuals are to serve in his administration.
The details about other positions in Trump’s upcoming administration are still unclear. During a Wednesday interview with Fox News, the president-elect mentioned that he does not intend for his children or family members to work under him. Earlier, Trump had expressed to former Fox News host Tucker Carlson that he was considering offering “influential” roles to Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk as well as Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who initially ran as an independent candidate in this year’s presidential race before withdrawing and endorsing Trump.
According to media reports, Trump is considering New York Republican Representative Elise Stefanik for the position of US ambassador to the UN and former US Ambassador to Germany Richard Grenell for secretary of state. He will begin his second term at the White House following his inauguration in January 2025.
