Susie Wiles Appointed as Trump’s New Chief of Staff

President-elect Donald Trump has begun naming his cabinet member nominees and his other important advisers. For his chief of staff–the president’s closest adviser–Trump has chosen Susie Wiles. The 67-year-old political veteran will be the first female (Republican or Democrat) to hold this powerful title. But who is Susie Wiles?  

What is the Chief of Staff? 

The chief of staff is the president’s top aide. This individual is responsible for helping the president put together and coordinate a staff. Once the president takes office, it’s the chief of staff’s job to oversee all daily White House operations and supervise all staff activities. The chief of staff also acts as a close adviser to the president and provide input on policy issues and development.  

Who is Susie Wiles? 

Susie Wiles, who describes herself as a political “moderate,” has been involved in politics for more than forty years. Originally from New Jersey, Wiles is the daughter of American football player and retired broadcaster Pat Summerall. She graduated from the University of Maryland and immediately went to work on Ronald Reagan’s 1980 presidential campaign.  

Since then, she has worked for mayors, governors, members of Congress, and presidents. In 2015, she met Donald Trump. She went on to run his 2016 and 2020 election operations in Florida, which were both successful. In between, she also ran winning campaigns for Florida Senator Rick Scott and Florida governor Ron DeSantis. After Trump’s loss in 2020, she ran his Save America Political Action Committee (PAC). Most recently, Wiles was Trump’s 2024 co-campaign manager. When she’s not running political campaigns, she also works as a lobbyist for companies such as SpaceX, AT&T, and the tobacco company Swisher. And from 2023 to 2024, she lobbied Congress about FDA regulations. 

Members of Trump’s 2024 campaign staff say that they consider her a great coach and mentor. But despite her impressive political resume and influence, Wiles is known as someone who doesn’t like the spotlight. She doesn’t give public speeches. Instead, she is soft-spoken and prefers to work behind the scenes.  

What Does the Future Hold? 

Although Wiles has a lot of experience with running political campaigns, she doesn’t have any experience with actually serving in the federal government. Will she be prepared to take on one of the most demanding roles in the federal government? It is also true that during his first term as president, Trump had four different people who served as chiefs of staff. So, some political commentators wonder how long Wiles will be able to hold the position.  

But others point out the immense respect that Trump and his political team have for Wiles. She has been responsible for many of the successful decisions he made in the 2024 campaign, such as urging Republicans to vote by mail. Those close to the president-elect say that her quiet nature works well with Trump’s particular political style. 

Dig Deeper Who were Donald Trump’s four chiefs of staff during his first term as president (2017-2020)? Why did each leave the job?