Stephen Miller tapped by Trump as WH chief of staff as Susie Wiles departs
Fox News' Kayleigh McEnany reacts to President Donald Trump tapping Stephen Miller as the new White House chief of staff following the departure of Susie Wiles. McEnany discusses Hakeem Jeffries' potential to become House speaker.
EXCLUSIVE: A memo describing the new White House hierarchy under chief of staff Stephen Miller circulated within the Trump administration this week, and details how Cabinet secretaries will now have more control over their own messaging.
This is a shift from what insiders say was administration-wide communications control implemented by former chief of staff Susie Wiles during the first nearly two years of President Donald Trump's second term.
"This will streamline the Cabinet, making it a more effective instrument for the President, whereas previously it was too constrained," a source familiar with the message told Fox News Digital.
The memo was sent by Miller's office after he took over the role on Monday. It was titled as a memo on administrative matters and personnel changes, the source said.
White House chief of staff Susie Wiles sits in the Oval Office, as President Donald Trump signs an executive order, at the White House in Washington, D.C., on Dec. 18, 2025. (Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters)
THE STONING OF STEPHEN MILLER, NOW RUNNING THE TRUMP WHITE HOUSE
"The White House position of Cabinet Secretary will be changed to the role of Director of Cabinet Relations, focused on providing support and reinforcement of President Trump's tremendous Cabinet Secretaries," details the memo, which Fox News Digital viewed.
"Each cabinet leader serves as the best leader and communicator for their individual Departments, and this new position will ensure our Cabinet is resourced and bolstered by the White House to deliver swift, critical, and lasting wins for the American people," the memo continues.
Another source who is familiar with day-to-day administration operations believes the memo signals a shift in communications policy, giving different agencies the ability to control their own messaging now that Miller has become chief of staff.
Stephen Miller listens during a meeting with President Donald Trump and oil company executives in the East Room of the White House on Jan. 9, 2026. (Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images)
The source said that previously, they believe Wiles had a chokehold on nearly all the administration's communications, and that there were "a lot of prescriptive directives" from Wiles' camp.
"I mean, to me, it reflects well on Miller and his team and I think it's really smart to be making these moves quite clear, to be communicating clearly and effectively, you know?" the source said, speaking of the policy shakeup described in the memo.
The source added that the policy change is "unleashing the Cabinet to be the captains of their own ship."
"It's more [of] a recognition that you can't possibly effectively micromanage this wide of an organization and that sometimes it might be better to trust and invest in a support system that elevates the people who are closest to the issues," the source said.
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President Donald Trump attends a Cabinet meeting at the White House in Washington on May 27, 2026. (Jacquelyn Martin/AP)
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A former Trump administration official had much more direct criticism of Wiles' management style.
"She wants complete authority," the source said.
"The control doesn't come from, 'hey, you have to do this.' The control comes from threat of duress. Like, 'if you don't do this, I'm going to destroy you in the media,'" they continued. "The thing is, she has been very clear. 'I can't control [Trump]. I can control everything else.'"
The source accused Wiles of approaching Cabinet secretaries and warning them that if they said anything off script in the media, that midterm GOP election losses would be blamed on them.
President Donald Trump hosts a lunch with the Kennedy Center board members alongside chief of staff Susie Wiles at the White House in Washington, D.C., on March 16, 2026. (Annabelle Gordon/AFP via Getty Images)
"It's absolute control," the source said.
The memo also highlights some hierarchical changes within the administration, saying the director of presidential scheduling and the Office of Presidential Scheduling will report directly to Chamberlain Harris, the deputy director of outer oval operations.
It also confirms previous reporting that Caleb Orr, formerly the assistant secretary of state for economic and business affairs, will become the chief of staff for policy.
President Donald Trump takes questions from reporters during a press briefing at the White House on Nov. 9, 2026. (Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images)
"The White House will run a clear and regular policy process through the Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy and the National Security Advisor, with clearly defined responsibilities and assignments and no overlapping policy portfolios," the memo says.
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Wiles did not return Fox News Digital's request for comment by time of publication.
