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'Wanted to make a change': Trump explains Susie Wiles' exit, praises new chief of staff Stephen Miller
Trump explained his decision to replace Susie Wiles with Stephen Miller, praising his new chief of staff as a “very good man” and a “great manager."
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President Donald Trump has explained his decision to replace Susie Wiles with Stephen Miller as White House chief of staff. He spoke to reporters on Friday as he left the White House to head to Florida.
Trump said he “wanted to make a change.” He said Wiles had done a “great job,” but “sometimes in life you have to make moves.”
Trump announced the move on Friday, just days after Republicans lost control of Congress in the midterm elections. Trump also praised Wiles in a Truth Social post and said she will continue to work for his political organization, according to AP.
What Trump said about Miller
Trump had warm words for Miller too. “He [Stephen Miller] gets it, very good politically and he’s a very good man. He’ll do a great job, great manager,” Trump said.
As per AP, Miller is one of Trump’s closest and longest-serving advisers. He joined Trump’s long-shot 2016 presidential campaign as a speechwriter. He is now deputy chief of staff for policy and is best known for his role in Trump’s immigration policy.
Wiles gave Trump her resignation on Thursday night, citing a person familiar with the events. Wiles herself said serving Trump in the White House was “the honor of a lifetime.” She added that her commitment to “the President and the mission” will not change, as per AP.
Also read: Marco Rubio dismisses reports of his Trump administration exit after GOP midterms rout
What the move means
According to AP, the staff changes shows that Trump is not planning to take a softer approach after the Republican Party's major loss in Tuesday's midterms elections. He will soon face a Congress controlled by Democrats.
Miller is a strong supporter of Trump and his “America First” principles. He has a deep understanding of presidential powers, which could lead to more executive actions during the final two years of Trump's term.
However, Miller's hard-line immigration policies also became a major issue for Republicans during the elections. The AP Voter Poll found that about six in 10 voters believed the administration's immigration enforcement had gone too far.
Democrats also criticized Trump's decision. “Just days after the American people rejected his corrupt and lawless presidency, Donald Trump is doubling down,” Representative Robert Garcia, D-California, who is set to become chairman of the House Oversight Committee, said, according to AP. He added, “Stephen Miller should lawyer up.”
