Trump picks Susie Wiles as his chief of staff: Everything you need to know

When and why was the position of chief of staff created?

The US federal government did not have a White House chief of staff until the mid-1940s. The need for the position was felt after the role of the executive branch expanded and was reorganised to deal with the Great Depression (1929-1939) and World War II (1939-1945) under the Franklin D Roosevelt administration. It was during these two events that “the presidency emerged as the pre-eminent government branch — no longer on equal terms with Congress and charged with primary responsibility for all aspects of federal policy,” Bruce Schulman, historian and professor at Boston University, wrote in his 2012 article, ‘Chief of staff: Politics meets power’, published by Politico.

As a result, President Roosevelt created the Executive Office of the Presidency (EOP) in 1939 to help him manage the increased workload and the policymaking process. However, he did not appoint a head honcho to run the operations. “Instead, he relied on his appointments secretary, Edwin “Pa” Watson, to manage his schedule,” Schulman wrote.

President Roosevelt’s successor, Harry Truman, created the designation of the White House chief of staff — at the time, it was known as the assistant to the president — to head the EOP in 1946. President Truman picked John Steelman, a former professor with experience in labour issues, for the role.

The first person to carry the moniker “chief of staff” was Sherman Adams, former New Hampshire governor, who was chosen by President Dwight D Eisenhower to run his White House after he entered office in 1953.

Since 1946, there have been 31 White House chiefs of staff. Wiles, 67, will be the 32nd chief of staff and the first woman to hold the position.

What is the role of chief of staff?

The job of chief of staff is one of the most powerful positions in the US government. Although their duties vary substantially in every administration, the five important functions of a chief of staff include:

MANAGING WHITE HOUSE STAFF: As mentioned before, the chief of staff heads the EOP, which includes the residence staff that attends to the first family, the national security adviser, communications operation, etc.

The chief of staff is also in charge of the president’s advisors such as the communications director, political director, and other senior counsellors.

DEFINING THE PRESIDENT’S AGENDA: The role also involves setting White House strategy on everything — from the legislative agenda to the administration’s foreign-policy priorities.

EXECUTING THE PRESIDENT’S VISION: Once the president decides on their course of action, the chief of staff has to ensure that the instructions are followed by White House staff, Cabinet (made up of the heads of the 15 executive departments), and several independent agencies.

GATEKEEPING THE PRESIDENT: The chief of staff controls access to the president. This does not just mean that they only control who gets to meet the president. The chief of staff also decides which decisions need to be made by the president personally, and which can be delegated to subordinates — helping the president stay focused on key priorities.

ADVISING THE PRESIDENT: The chief of staff advises the president on all issues including politics, policy, and international and domestic crises.

Who is Susie Wiles?

Daughter of NFL player and sportscaster Pat Summerall, Wiles worked in the Washington office of New York Representative Jack Kemp in the 1970s, and went on to work with Ronald Reagan’s campaign and in his White House as a scheduler.

Wiles, who is a resident of Florida, is credited with helping businessman Rick Scott, who had little political experience, win the state’s governor’s office in 2010.

She met Trump in 2015 during the Republican presidential primary and was appointed the co-chair of his Florida campaign. Trump won the state over Hillary Clinton in 2016.

Two years later, Wiles played a crucial role in getting Ron DeSantis elected as the governor of Florida in 2018. DeSantis described her as “the best in the business”. However, a rift developed between the two when Wiles was again managing Trump’s Florida campaign during the 2020 presidential election. DeSantis eventually fired her.

Wiles went on to lead Trump’s primary campaign for 2024 elections and helped him crush the Florida governor.

Known to shun the spotlight most of the time, Wiles has been the only campaign manager to survive an entire campaign working for Trump. She has also assisted the president-elect deal with the lawyers on his various criminal and civil cases.

Wiles was one of the few people who could control some of Trump’s worst impulses, especially during his 2024 presidential campaign, according to a report by the Associated Press. She did so “not by chiding him or lecturing, but by earning his respect and showing him that he was better off when he followed her advice than flouted it,” the report said.

However, it remains to be seen for how long she can remain Trump’s chief of staff. In his first administration, Trump went through four chiefs of staff — including one who served in an acting capacity for a year.