Trump makes first appointment, announces Susie Wiles as Chief of Staff

United States President elect Donald Trump has announced that Susie Wiles, co-manager of his re-election campaign, will be his chief of staff:

Susie Wiles just helped me achieve one of the greatest political victories in American history, and was an integral part of both my 2016 and 2020 successful campaigns.
Susie is tough, smart, innovative, and is universally admired and respected. Susie will continue to work tirelessly to make America great again. It is a well deserved honor to have Susie as the first-ever female Chief of Staff in United States history. I have no doubt that she will make our country proud”, he said

Wiles is a veteran operative who is seen as playing an integral part in Trump’s successful bid to reclaim the White House.

The 67-year-old, who will be the first woman to be Chief of Staff for a US President, is the daughter of the late NFL broadcaster Pat Summerall and one of Trump’s longest serving advisers. She ran his Florida campaigns in 2020 and 2016 and served as a “de facto Chief of Staff” over the last four years as she helped lead his successful re-election bid.

She has been repeatedly credited for his win this week and Trump directly praised her in his victory speech, but she declined to take the microphone and comment.

Before supporting Trump, she ran Rick Scott’s 2010 gubernatorial campaign in Florida and briefly served as campaign manager of former Utah Governor Jon Huntsman’s Presidential bid in 2012.

Trump defended Wiles in September when there were concerns that the campaign was flailing and he repeatedly expressed faith in her amid reports of an internal power struggle.

Trump’s first term was marked by significant turnover, including four Chiefs of Staff. John Kelly, Trump’s longest serving Chief of Staff during his first administration, spent the final weeks of this year’s election warning that his former boss was a “fascist” who had privately and repeatedly praised Hitler.