President-elect Trump appoints Susie Wiles as chief of staff, the first woman in the post

WASHINGTON – President-elect Donald Trump has named Susie Wiles, the de facto manager of his victorious campaign, as White House chief of staff, the first woman to serve in this influential role.

Wiles is widely praised inside and outside Trump’s inner circle for leading what was by far his most disciplined and well-executed campaign, and was seen as the leading contender for the position. She largely avoided the spotlight, even refusing to take the microphone to speak as Trump celebrated his victory early Wednesday morning. She resisted the formal title of campaign manager and avoided being a target, given Trump’s history of crossing people in that role.

Wiles’ appointment is Trump’s first major decision as president-elect and one that could be a defining test of his new administration as he must quickly build the team that will help run the massive federal government. Wiles does not bring much experience in the federal government, but he has a close relationship with the newly elected president.

During the campaign, Wiles was able to do what few others have managed: keep Trump’s impulses in check—not by reprimanding him or lecturing him, but by earning his respect and showing him that he would be better off if he followed her advice rather than ignoring it. .

Eight years ago, Trump jettisoned the careful planning of his transition team and instead hired a motley crew of campaign aides, family members and Republican insiders who spent much of his first year in office waging infighting that dominated news coverage of the new administration. . It was what many experts consider a fundamental error that paralyzed a president new to Washington and the administration as he took the oath of office.

Trump went through four chiefs of staff — including one who served in an acting capacity for a year — during his first administration, part of a record-breaking turnover. Many top aides were outed by Trump during his first term because he hated feeling managed or condescended to, while others became entangled in ideological conflicts within the factionalized West Wing.

Trump aides see hope that Wiles’ selection is a sign that the president-elect wants to build a more cohesive team, albeit one that will almost certainly remain less conventional than his Democratic or Republican predecessors.

Trump, who promised in 2016 to hire “only the best people,” has since said repeatedly that he believes the biggest mistake of his first term was hiring the wrong people. He was new to Washington then, he has said, and didn’t know any better. But now, Trump said, he knows the “best people” and those to avoid for a role in his administration.

“Susie is tough, smart, innovative and universally admired and respected. Susie will continue to work tirelessly to Make America Great Again,” Trump said in a statement. “It is a well-deserved honor to have Susie become the very first female Chief of Staff in the history of the United States. I have no doubt she will make our country proud.”

Successful chiefs of staff serve as confidantes to the president, helping to implement a president’s agenda and balance competing political and policy priorities. They also tend to act as a gatekeeper, helping to determine who the president spends his time with and speaks to — an effort that irked Trump in the White House.

The chief of staff is “absolutely critical to an effective White House,” says Chris Whipple, whose book “The Gatekeepers” describes how the role of the White House chief of staff shapes and defines a presidency. “In the end, the most important thing is to tell the president what he doesn’t want to hear.”

“On the positive side, she has shown that she can manage Trump, that she can work with him and sometimes tell him hard truths, and that is very important,” Whipple said. “On the negative side, she really has no White House experience and hasn’t really worked in Washington in 40 years. And that is a real disadvantage.”

Wiles is a longtime Florida resident Republican strategist who managed Trump’s campaigns in the state in 2016 and 2020, and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’ successful bid in 2018. Before that, she managed Rick Scott’s 2010 campaign for governor of Florida and served briefly as governor of Florida. as manager of former Utah Governor Jon Huntsman’s 2012 presidential campaign.

Wiles also worked in the offices of former Jacksonville mayors John Delaney and John Peyton.

Chris LaCivita, who served as de facto campaign manager with Wiles, described Wiles as someone who is inclusive in conversations, who seeks input from others and is steadfastly loyal.

“Susie is just functionally built differently because she has the rare asset of being able to work on so many different important issues at the same time,” LaCivita told The Associated Press.

Wiles was the one who had to have the toughest discussions with Trump and make every crucial conversation. She worked well with his family and developed relationships with Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Elon Musk, making her instrumental in Trump’s budding alliances with those men.

“She can really control any ego that comes her way,” LaCivita said. “And she does that in no other way than by being very clear and paying attention to the details.”

He added: “The most important asset in politics is honesty and loyalty, and Susie has both in spades.”

Wiles was seen by Trump aides as someone who could direct his moods and impulses without necessarily restraining them. Trump often referred to Wiles during his campaign, publicly praising her leadership on what he was often told was his “best run campaign.”

‘She’s incredible. Unbelievable,” he said at a rally in Milwaukee earlier this month.

At a rally in Pennsylvania, where Trump made one of his last appearances before the election, he launched a profane and conspiracy-laden speech. Wiles was seen offstage and appeared to glare at him.

Later, at a meeting in Pittsburgh, Trump appeared to acknowledge his adviser’s efforts to keep him informed.

After complaining that men are no longer allowed to call a woman “beautiful,” he asked if he could delete that word from the record. “I can do that, can’t I, Susan Wiles?” he mused.