“Having Susie as the first female Chief of Staff in the history of the United States is a well-earned honor,” says President-elect Donald Trump.
The de facto manager of his successful campaign, Susie Wiles, has been appointed as President-elect Donald Trump’s White House chief of staff, making her the first woman to occupy the powerful position.
“Everyone respects and admires Susie because she is tough, intelligent, and creative. Trump said in a statement on Thursday that Susie would keep working relentlessly to “Make America Great Again.”
“Having Susie as the first female chief of staff in American history is a well-earned honor. She will undoubtedly make our nation proud, in my opinion.
Wiles was considered the front-runner for the job and is largely acknowledged both inside and outside of Trump’s inner circle for directing what was by far his most well-run and disciplined campaign.
She mostly stayed out of the spotlight, even declining to appear on the microphone at Trump’s early Wednesday morning victory celebration.
Given Trump’s history of churning through campaign managers, she declined the official title to avoid becoming a target.
As he must swiftly assemble the staff that will assist in managing the vast federal agency, Wiles’ appointment is Trump’s first significant choice as president-elect and could prove to be a defining test of his future administration.
Despite having little experience with the federal administration, Wiles is close to the president-elect.
Few people have been able to do what Wiles did during the campaign: help manage Trump’s impulses. She did this by gaining his respect and demonstrating to him that following her advise was better for him than disobeying it.
A White House chief of staff is “absolutely critical to an effective White House,” according to Chris Whipple, whose book “The Gatekeepers” describes how the position defines and shapes a presidency.
“At the end of the day the most important thing is telling the president what he doesn’t want to hear.”
“On the plus side, she’s shown that she can manage Trump, that she works with him and can sometimes tell him hard truths, and that’s really important,” Whipple stated.
“On the down side, she hasn’t actually worked in Washington for 40 years and has no experience in the White House. And that is a significant drawback.
“She is capable of handling any ego that is directed at her.”
Wiles is a seasoned Republican strategist from Florida who managed Trump’s campaigns there in 2016 and 2020 as well as Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’ victorious 2018 campaign.
She previously managed the 2010 campaign of Rick Scott for governor of Florida and temporarily managed the 2012 presidential campaign of former Utah Governor Jon Huntsman.
Wiles also held positions in the offices of former mayors John Peyton and John Delaney of Jacksonville. According to Chris LaCivita, who co-managed the campaign as de facto manager alongside Wiles, Wiles is inclusive in discussions, solicits feedback from others, and is incredibly loyal.
“Susie is just functionally built differently because she has that rare commodity to be able to work on so many different important issues simultaneously,” LaCivita told the newspaper.
Wiles was assigned to have the most difficult conversations with Trump and to be present at all of the important meetings. She got along well with his family and cultivated connections with Elon Musk and Robert F. Kennedy Jr., which placed her in a position to play a crucial role in Trump’s emerging partnerships with both individuals.
“She can manage really any ego that comes her way,” LaCivita remarked. “And she doesn’t do it by any other way other than just being very straightforward and on top of the details.”
