Trump makes Stephen Miller chief of staff days after Democrats win Congress, and he has reportedly spent weeks on plans to work around it

President Donald Trump has tapped longtime adviser Stephen Miller to replace Susie Wiles as White House chief of staff, putting one of his closest aides in the administration’s top staff job just days after Republicans’ midterm losses.

According to a report by Reuters, Trump announced the move on Truth Social on Friday, Nov. 6. Miller is expected to take over on Monday, Nov. 9, as Democrats prepare to assume control of the House and Senate.

The election losses came as voters voiced concerns about the economy, the war with Iran, and Trump’s deportation campaign. CBS News described Miller’s appointment as a doubling down on Trump’s approach to governing.

Trump replaces Susie Wiles with one of his closest aides

Wiles, 69, became the first woman to serve as White House chief of staff after managing Trump’s 2024 campaign. She submitted her resignation Thursday night, and three sources told CBS News it was tied to the Republican midterm defeats.

Trump had reportedly been blaming his top aides for the party’s strategy before the vote. In his Truth Social post, he thanked Wiles for doing an “outstanding job” and said she would move over to his political operation. Speaking to reporters, he said, “I wanted to make a change,” and called Miller “very good politically” and a “great manager.”

Miller, 41, has been close to Trump since the 2016 campaign, when he worked as a speechwriter. He had previously served as an aide to former Alabama Sen. Jeff Sessions. In the White House, he became deputy chief of staff for policy and homeland security adviser, with a hand in shaping some of Trump’s most consequential immigration policies.

Those included travel bans targeting Muslim-majority countries, the southern border wall, cuts to refugee admissions, third-country deportations, and high daily arrest targets for immigration agents.

He has also been involved in efforts to expand presidential authority. Working with White House aide Will Scharf, Miller has helped develop legal strategies intended to give Trump more room to govern through executive orders, without seeking congressional approval.

Trump plans to use executive powers as Democrats prepare to take control

In a Nov. 3 interview with CBS News, Trump cited Trump v. Slaughter, a 6-3 Supreme Court decision from earlier this year that allowed him to fire Federal Trade Commission member Rebecca Slaughter. He said the ruling “gives the president tremendous powers that it never had before.”

He also embraced the nickname “Mr. Veto,” saying he was prepared to veto Democratic legislation and that vetoes could eventually push Democrats to make deals. Two people close to Trump told CBS News that discussions about further executive actions, on issues including immigration and trade, had taken place at the White House in recent weeks. Miller and Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought were central figures in those talks.

Miller’s elevation comes as Trump prepares for a Democratic-controlled Congress. University of Akron political science professor David Cohen told The Guardian that Miller believes in the “unitary presidency” and sees opposition from Congress as a chance to expand executive power.

Miller thanked Wiles on X, writing that the “mission is more clear than ever.”

Democratic leaders have already objected to the appointment. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said Trump “couldn’t have made a worse choice,” and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries called Miller “a dangerous xenophobe and reckless extremist.” Rep. Robert Garcia, who is in line to chair the House Oversight Committee, said Democrats will continue to investigate Miller.