Trump appointed campaign manager Susie Wiles as chief of staff

PUS President-elect Donald Trump has named Susie Wiles, the de facto manager of his victorious campaign, as his White House chief of staff, the first woman to hold the powerful post.

Within Trump’s inner circle and beyond, Wiles has been credited with running his most disciplined and well-run campaign and was seen as a front-runner for the job. She largely avoided the spotlight, even refusing to take the microphone to speak as Trump celebrated his victory early Wednesday morning. She resisted the official position of campaign manager, avoiding becoming a target given Trump’s history of moving between people in that role.

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The hiring of Wiles is Trump’s first major decision as president-elect and could be a defining test for his new administration as he must quickly put together a team to help manage the massive federal government. Wiles doesn’t have much experience with the federal government, but he has a close relationship with the president-elect.

During the campaign, Wiles was able to do what few others were able to do: help control Trump’s impulses—not by scolding or admonishing him, but by earning his respect and showing him that he’s better off following her advice than flouting it. .

Eight years ago, Trump abandoned the meticulous planning of his transition team and instead hired a diverse group of campaign aides, family members and Republican insiders who have spent much of his first year in office embroiled in internal squabbles that have dominated news coverage of the new administration. . . It was what many experts believe was a fundamental flaw that has hampered the president, who was new to Washington and government, after his inauguration.

During his first administration, Trump went through four chiefs of staff, including one who served for a year, part of a record staff exodus. Many top aides were ousted by Trump during his first term, who resented feeling led or pandered to, while others were embroiled in ideological disputes within the factional West Wing.

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

More details: How Trump 2.0 will remake Washington

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

“Susie is tenacious, intelligent, innovative, admired and respected by everyone. 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 as the first female Chief of Staff in the history of the United States. I have no doubt that our country will be proud of her.”

Successful chiefs of staff serve as confidants of the President, helping to carry out the presidential agenda and balance competing political and policy priorities. They also tend to serve as gatekeepers, helping to determine who the president spends his time with and who he talks to, an effort Trump has disliked in the White House.

A chief of staff is “absolutely critical to an effective White House,” said Chris Whipple, whose book Goalkeepers details how the White House chief of staff shapes and defines the presidency. “At the end of the day, the most important thing is to tell the president what he doesn’t want to hear.”

“The positive thing is that she’s shown that she can manage Trump, that she works with him and can sometimes tell him the hard truth, and that’s very important,” Whipple said. hasn’t actually worked in Washington for 40 years, and that’s a real handicap.”

Wiles is a Republican strategist from Florida who was a longtime campaign manager for Trump in the state in 2016 and 2020, and was a successful candidate for Florida governor Ron DeSantis in 2018. Prior to that, she managed Rick Scott’s 2010 Florida gubernatorial campaign and held that position for a short time. as former Utah Governor Jon Huntsman’s 2012 presidential campaign manager.

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

Chris LaCivita, who served as the de facto campaign manager with Wiles, described Wiles as someone who actively participates in conversations, seeks out the opinions of others and is unwaveringly loyal.

“Susie is just functionally built differently because she has this rare ability to work on many different important issues at once,” LaCivita told The Associated Press.

Wiles was the one tasked with having the toughest discussions with Trump and during every key conversation. She worked well with his family and developed a relationship with Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Elon Musk, which allowed her to become a key guide for Trump’s new alliances with these people.

“She can really handle any ego that comes her way,” LaCivita said. “And she doesn’t do it any other way than just being very straightforward and paying attention to detail.”

He added: “The most important commodity in politics is honesty and loyalty, and Susie has both in huge quantities.”

Trump’s aides saw Wiles as someone who could manage his moods and impulses without necessarily restraining him. Trump mentioned Wiles frequently on the campaign trail, publicly praising her leadership of what he said was often his “best campaign ever.”

“She is incredible. Unbelievable,” he said at a rally in Milwaukee earlier this month.

At a rally in Pennsylvania, where Trump gave one of his final speeches before the election, he delivered a profanity-laced and conspiracy-laden speech. Wiles was seen standing backstage and appeared to be glaring at him.

Later, at a rally in Pittsburgh, Trump appeared to acknowledge his adviser’s efforts to keep him in the loop.

After complaining that men were no longer allowed to call a woman “pretty,” he asked if the word could be struck from the record. “I’m allowed to do that, aren’t I, Susan Wiles?” he reasoned.