The women around Trump disappear - replaced by men

As chief of staff, Susie Wiles, sometimes called the "Ice Lady", had one of the most powerful roles in the White House. On Monday, she will be replaced by Stephen Miller, one of Trump's most influential advisers.

Wiles is not the first woman in Trump's inner circle to be forced out this year. In October, the New York Times listed several similar cases. One example is Kimberly Guilfoyle, the former US ambassador to Greece, who was probed after revelations about suspicious money transfers.

Another is Katie Zacharia, who was White House press secretary for five days before she was poked for her shaky performance. On Saturday, Trump announced that he wants Dana White, CEO of the martial arts organization UFC, to be "press secretary for the United States." It is unclear if he is referring to Zacharias' previous job.

At the beginning of the term, Trump was "happy to say that we have more women in our government than any Republican president in the history of our country." That is no longer true. In addition to this autumn's provocations, four out of seven female ministers have resigned or been dismissed during 2026, writes the New York Times.

As in Susie Wile's case, all have been replaced by men. Only three women remain in the top leadership: Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, Education Secretary Linda McMahon and Small Business Administration Director Kelly Loeffler.

During a few months last spring, four female ministers disappeared. In March, the controversial Kristi Noem had to leave the post as minister for internal security. She was replaced by Trump-loyal Senator Markwayne Mullin, a former martial artist.

Shortly thereafter, in early April, Attorney General Pam Bondi was fired. She was shot for handling the high-profile Epstein files. The president is also said to have been dissatisfied with the Justice Department's failure to prosecute more of Trump's enemies. The minister post has since been taken over by Todd Blanche.

After Pam Bondi, it didn't take long before the next female minister was replaced. In late April, Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer quit after allegations of misconduct and an inappropriate affair with an employee. She has been replaced by Keith Sonderling, former director of the Institute of Museum and Library Service.

A month later, it was US intelligence chief Tulsi Gabbard's turn to go. According to sources to Reuters, she was fired. The former Democrat was criticized internally, according to Wall Street Journal sources, for departing from the White House's talking points on the war in Iran.

In October, the NYT asked the White House why women had been replaced to such a high extent. The answer: The president is not obsessed with identity politics – he is based on merit.

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