On the 6th, U.S. President Trump appointed Stephen Miller, a hard-line figure who is regarded as his most loyal confidant, as the new White House Chief of Staff, replacing Wells who has announced his resignation. The appointment of Miller, who has a tough stance, to such important positions shows that Trump will relentlessly fight back against the Democrats who control both houses of Congress after the midterm elections. The Democrats fought back and stayed with it until the end.
Trump announced the personnel move, which will take effect on the 9th, in a post on social media, describing the 41-year-old Miller as "one of my most trusted advisors." He also praised Wells for "excellent performance" and will be transferred to Trump's political team. "I wanted to make some changes... Sometimes in life you have to make adjustments," Trump told reporters at the White House when asked why he chose Miller to replace Wells.
Serves as homeland security adviser and advocates expanding presidential authority
Miller was formerly the White House deputy chief of staff for policy and Trump's homeland security adviser. He has long advocated expanding presidential powers. He was the mastermind behind the large-scale immigration deportations after Trump returned to the White House last year. He has been one of Trump's closest aides for decades, promoting nativist policies that are highly consistent with Trump's "America First" agenda.
Shows Trump has shifted to all-out war mode
It is generally believed that Trump's appointment of Miller as White House chief of staff shows that he has shifted from his desire to reconcile with the Democratic Party after the Republican Party lost the election to an all-out war mode. A White House official said that Miller's appointment as White House chief of staff showed that Trump not only did not intend to rethink his policies, but instead rewarded his top loyalists; even though tens of millions of American voters rejected Trump's domestic and foreign policies, Trump did not intend to change or adjust.
The Democratic Party re-criticizes Trump's personnel management and must fight to the end
Democrats clearly got Trump's message. Schumer, who will become the leader of the Senate majority party (Democratic Party) in the new Congress, said that Miller is the architect of the most barbaric and inhumane immigration policy of the Trump administration; Trump's personnel choice is really bad and cannot be worse. "We (the Democrats who will hold the majority in Congress) will fight him all the way to the end."
In addition to Miller's tough stance on this personnel case, which is eye-catching, Trump's reversal of his repeated pre-election insistence that Wells would not be replaced is also surprising. The 69-year-old Wells has maintained strict discipline during his tenure as White House chief of staff for the past two years, effectively avoiding the personnel changes and disputes that were common in the White House during Trump's first term in office. Unexpectedly, Wells has now become the first senior White House official to be "out" after the Republican Party lost the election. It is understood that Wells resigned on the evening of the 5th; and she herself confirmed on social media that the 6th was her last day in office.
The Wall Street Journal pointed out that Trump’s biggest dissatisfaction with Wells is that she and the Department of Justice did not do enough to track down those who leaked confidential information and prosecute his political opponents. Wells told Trump as late as last week that Republicans could keep the Senate, people familiar with the matter said. On the night of the vote, facing defeat, Trump finally couldn't help but publicly angrily criticized Wells.
