First personnel adjustment after midterm election defeat: Trump replaces White House chief of staff

(Deutsche Welle Chinese website) After the US Republican Party suffered a heavy defeat in the congressional midterm elections, President Trump made his first personnel adjustment: replacing White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles and replacing him with Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller.

Trump thanked Wiles, 69, for his "great job." Before the election, he had repeatedly stressed that it was impossible to replace Wiles. Now he said that sometimes in life, "steps must be taken." Wiles is the first female White House chief of staff in American history.

Loyal aide: Miller leads hardline immigration policy

Trump called Mueller one of his "most trusted advisors," a "terrific fighter" and "very loyal." Miller, 41, has worked for Trump since his first presidential campaign in 2016. He has written speeches for him and mainly advised him on immigration policy.

Miller is one of the key architects of the Trump administration's hardline immigration policies and mass deportations. In early 2026, a federal immigration law enforcement officer shot and killed an American citizen in Minneapolis, triggering widespread controversy.

Democrats vow to confront: 'reckless extremists'

This appointment means that Trump is heading into confrontation with the Democrats who won the midterm elections. House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries called Miller a "dangerous xenophobe and reckless extremist with American blood on his hands." Schumer, a Democrat who previously served as Senate Minority Leader, called Miller "the architect of the most barbaric and inhumane policies of this administration" and said that the Democratic Party will "confront him every step of the way."

Election marathon: Intensive campaign failed to reverse the decline

Wiles is the Trump administration's point man for midterm election strategy. Under her promotion, the 80-year-old Trump went to 20 states to attend 30 events in the month before the election, but with little effect. Some Republican candidates have even deliberately distanced themselves from Trump, who is increasingly unpopular with voters.

The appointment of Miller shows that the "Make America Great Again" (MAGA) ultra-conservative camp still dominates the White House after the midterm elections, and that Trump and the Democratic-led Congress will face a period of confrontation.