Former Trump Aide Calls Potential Stephen Miller Appointment as Chief of Staff “Terrifying”

A former White House aide has warned that replacing Chief of Staff Susie Wiles with Stephen Miller would be “a terrifying prospect,” as reports of possible changes to President Donald Trump’s senior team circulate in Washington, Joe Sommerlad reported for The Independent.

Stephen Miller is among the names reportedly discussed as a possible successor to White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, whose position remains the subject of speculation. [Photo: Gage Skidmore Flickr]

Rumors emerged late last week that Wiles, who helped lead Trump’s successful 2024 presidential campaign, could leave her position following the brief tenure of White House press secretary Katie Zacharia and amid speculation about the Republican Party’s performance in the November midterm elections.

Trump appointed Zacharia to the press secretary role without consulting Wiles, according to reports, prompting questions about the chief of staff’s influence within the administration. Zacharia left the position after five days.

Politico reported that Trump had contacted associates to discuss possible replacements for Wiles.

Names reportedly mentioned included Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Bill Pulte, Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin, former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and New York Yankees executive Randy Levine.

Former White House deputy press secretary Sarah Matthews criticized the prospect of Miller succeeding Wiles in an interview with MeidasTouch journalist Jack Cocchiarella.

“It seems like Trump is unhappy with the way things are right now and the headlines and the way his administration is going, so he is seeming to blame Susie Wiles,” Matthews said, according to The Independent.

She added that Wiles appeared to be “on the outs” and said Trump had been contacting associates to discuss possible replacements.

However, the reports remain speculative. The White House rejected claims that Wiles was about to be replaced, and Trump publicly expressed confidence in his chief of staff.