Who is Susie Wiles? Donald Trump's new White House chief of staff

Susie Wiles is moving from a largely behind-the-scenes role to the high-profile position of the president’s closest adviser

Susie Wiles, a seasoned Florida political strategist and campaign co-chair for President-elect Donald Trump, has been chosen as the incoming White House chief of staff.

This move propels her from a largely behind-the-scenes role to the high-profile position of the president’s closest adviser and counsel.

But who exactly is Wiles, the first woman set to step into this powerful role? The daughter of NFL player and sportscaster Pat Summerall, Wiles began her political career in the Washington office of New York Rep. Jack Kemp in the 1970s.

She then worked on Ronald Reagan’s campaign and served in his White House as a scheduler. Moving to Florida, she advised two Jacksonville mayors and worked for Rep.

Tillie Fowler. Her involvement in statewide campaigns in Florida politics led to her being credited with helping businessman Rick Scott win the governor’s office.

After briefly managing Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman’s 2012 presidential campaign, she ran Trump‘s 2016 effort in Florida, which was instrumental in his White House victory.

Two years later, Wiles helped Ron DeSantis become Florida‘s governor. However, a rift developed between them, leading DeSantis to urge Trump’s 2020 campaign to sever ties with Wiles, who was once again running the then-president’s state campaign.

Wiles eventually took the helm of Trump’s primary campaign against DeSantis, leading to a whopping victory over the Florida governor. Throughout the race, Trump’s campaign staff and their allies couldn’t resist teasing DeSantis, poking fun at everything from his giggle, how he ate, to speculation that he sported lifts in his boots – snipes suspected to stem from inside info possibly leaked by Wiles or other ex-DeSantis staffers now in Trump‘s corner after sour experiences.

With a scant three posts on social media this year before her announcement, Wiles’ digital presence was minimal until a pointed response surfaced shortly before DeSantis bowed out in January, replying to a note about DeSantis clearing his campaign schedule: “Bye, bye.”

An early recruit for Trump’s third presidential charge, Wiles stands as one of the few top brass to weather an entire Trump campaign tempest, and played a role in steering a tighter ship for his latest White House crusade – efforts often undone by Trump’s own unpredictability. Shunning the limelight, she sidestepped center stage, notably passing up the chance to address the crowd as Trump reveled in his win in the early hours of Wednesday.

Susie Wiles, a key figure in Trump’s circle, proved she’s not too high and mighty to roll up her sleeves and get involved with grassroots efforts. During an event in Iowa last July, as the former president was busy with photo ops, Wiles took the initiative, clipboard in hand, to rally support for Trump‘s caucus campaign.

“If we leave the conference room after a meeting and somebody leaves trash on the table, Susie’s the person to grab the trash and put it in the trash can,” Chris LaCivita, campaign co-chair, praised her work ethic. In response to Mark Cuban’s critique that Trump lacked “strong, intelligent women” around him, Wiles clapped back with a pointed post during the campaign’s final stretch.

Her competence was further acknowledged when Sen. Marco Rubio humorously noted on social media that Trump had indeed selected a “strong, intelligent woman” for his chief of staff.

Wiles’ influence extended beyond mere tasks; she managed to temper Trump’s more erratic tendencies not through confrontation but by gaining his trust and guiding him towards better decisions. This subtle control was evident when, following a controversial speech in Pennsylvania where Trump veered off-script, Wiles simply fixed him with a silent stare.

Trump often lauded Wiles on the campaign trail, showering her with compliments for her role in what he was told was his “best-run campaign.”

“She’s incredible. Incredible,” he exclaimed at a Milwaukee rally earlier this month. During his initial stint in the Oval Office, Trump cycled through four chiefs of staff, one of whom held the position temporarily for a year, marking an era of unprecedented turnover among White House personnel.

The chief of staff is a pivotal figure, acting as the president’s right hand in implementing strategies and juggling the demands of politics and policy. This role also includes managing access to the president, a task that reportedly frustrated Trump during his time in office.

Trump has often voiced that his greatest regret from his first term was choosing the wrong individuals for key positions, attributing this to his inexperience in Washington. However, Trump now asserts that he’s familiar with the “best people” for the job and knows who to steer clear of when filling positions.