Trump ousting Susie Wiles rumors have Stephen Miller and Bill Pulte reportedly jockeying for position
Por Brendan Rascius — – World RSS Feed
Trump ousting Susie Wiles rumors have Stephen Miller and Bill Pulte reportedly jockeying for position
Trump has reportedly started calling allies and discussing potential replacements for Wiles
Brendan Rascius in New York Friday 16 October 2026 14:24 BST
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Amid rumors that Trump’s Chief of Staff Susie Wiles may depart after the November midterm elections, several aides have begun jockeying for her role, according to a new report.
Among those positioning themselves for the job are Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Bill Pulte and EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin, The Washington Post reported, citing sources familiar with the matter.
Wiles herself has not indicated that she plans to step down. But senior staff are often reshuffled after midterm elections, where the president’s party typically performs poorly — an outcome many polls and insiders are predicting for this year. Trump has also reportedly started calling allies to solicit their views on his chief of staff.
A Wiles supporter told the outlet that a GOP “blowout next month, very likely, will be a wedge that the ambitious use” to claim the chief of staff role. Another source described the last week at the White House as “the new Wild Wild West.”
“These anonymous sources know nothing,” a White House spokesperson told the Post. “It’s the same selfish, opportunistic behavior from people more focused on themselves than on President [Donald] Trump, whose priority is delivering for the American people and winning the midterms.”
open image in galleryThe scramble for the top post has played out in different ways.
Pulte, who once served as acting director of national intelligence, has made a habit of using poster boards to lobby Trump on various policy issues, schlepping them onto golf courses and Air Force One.
But the president has told aides that Pulte’s ever-growing collection is crowding the White House residence.
The maneuvering for the chief of staff job kicked off last week after Trump, bypassing Wiles, contacted Katie Zacharia about becoming the new White House press secretary, the Post reported. The decision was seen as undermining Wiles’ authority.
Wiles, whom Trump has nicknamed the “ice maiden,” has also found herself on the defensive after two political advisers close to her — James Blair and Chris LaCivita — traveled to the Balkans to consult with a Russian-aligned government in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
After learning about the trip, Trump reportedly threatened to fire the two men, setting off “full-on panic mode” at the White House, Politico reported.
open image in galleryThis week, the outlet also reported that the 80-year-old president has started dialing up friends and discussing potential replacements for Wiles, who ran Trump’s 2024 campaign. One GOP lawmaker said Trump has begun asking “the first honest questions about Susie.” A Republican operative said: “She’s burned a lot of people.”
Both Miller and Pulte are among the names Trump has floated to replace Wiles, according to Politico. He has also reportedly mentioned special envoy Steve Witkoff, former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and Randy Levine, the president of the New York Yankees.
Trump described the story as “TOTAL FAKE NEWS.”
“Susie Wiles is my loyal and longest serving Chief of Staff — there is a reason for that,” he told the outlet. “She has been with me since the beginning, is my trusted advisor, and has my COMPLETE confidence.”
The Independent has contacted the White House for comment.
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Stephen MillerSusie WilesWhite House
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