President-elect Trump appoints Susie Wiles as chief of staff, the first woman to hold the position

WASHINGTON— WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump has named Susie Wiles, the de facto manager of his victorious campaign, as his White House chief of staff, the first woman to hold the influential role.

Wiles is widely recognized inside and outside Trump’s inner circle for having run by far his most disciplined and well-executed campaign and was considered the best contender for the position. She largely avoided the spotlight and even refused to take the microphone to speak as Trump celebrated his victory early Wednesday morning. She resisted the formal title of campaign manager and didn’t want to become a target, considering Trump has repeatedly thwarted people in that role in the past.

Hiring Wiles is Trump’s first big decision as president-elect and could be a crucial test for his new administration as he needs to quickly build the team that will help run the vast federal government. Wiles doesn’t have much experience in the federal government, but he has a close relationship with the president-elect.

On the campaign trail, Wiles managed to do what few others have managed to do: control Trump’s impulses – not by reprimanding him or lecturing him, but by earning his respect and showing him that he would feel better if he followed her advice. than to disrespect him.

Eight years ago, Trump abandoned careful planning of his transition team and instead hired a diverse mix of campaign aides, family members and Republican insiders who spent most of his first year in office in infighting that dominated coverage of the new administration. Many experts believe it was a fundamental mistake that paralyzed a president new to Washington and the administration as he was sworn in.

During his first term, Trump had four chiefs of staff — including one who served as an actor for a year — amid record-breaking staff turnover. Many senior advisers were pushed out by Trump in his first term as he resented being manipulated or condescended to, while others became embroiled in ideological battles within the factional West Wing.

Trump advisers hope that Wiles’ selection is a sign that the president-elect wants to build a more cohesive team, though one that will almost certainly remain less conventional than his Democratic or Republican predecessors.

Trump, who promised in 2016 to hire “only the best people,” has since repeatedly said that he believes the biggest mistake of his first term was hiring the wrong people. He was new in Washington at the time, he said, and didn’t know any better. But now, Trump said, he knows the “best people” and those he should avoid for roles in his administration.

“Susie is tough, smart, innovative and widely admired and respected. “Susie will continue to work tirelessly to Make America Great Again,” Trump said in a statement. “It is a well-deserved honor to have Susie as the first female chief of staff in United States history. I have no doubt she will make our country proud.”

Successful chiefs of staff serve as confidants to the president, helping to implement the president’s agenda and balancing competing policy and policy priorities. They also tend to act as watchdogs, helping to determine who the president spends his time with and who he speaks to – an exercise that has chafed Trump in the White House.

The chief of staff is “absolutely critical to an effective White House,” said Chris Whipple, whose book “The Gatekeepers” details how the role of the White House chief of staff shapes and defines a presidency. “Ultimately, the most important thing is to tell the president what he doesn’t want to hear.”

“On the positive side, she’s shown that she can handle Trump, that she works with him and can sometimes tell him hard truths, and that’s really important,” Whipple said. “On the negative side, she really has no experience in the White House and hasn’t really worked in Washington for 40 years. And that’s a real disadvantage.”

Wiles is a longtime Florida-based Republican strategist who ran Trump’s campaigns in the state in 2016 and 2020 and managed Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ successful 2018 candidacy. Previously, she managed Rick Scott’s 2010 campaign for governor of Florida and briefly served as manager of former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman’s 2012 presidential campaign.

Wiles also worked in the offices of former Jacksonville mayors John Delaney and John Peyton.

Chris LaCivita, who served as de facto campaign manager with Wiles, described Wiles as someone who included himself in conversations, sought input from others and was unwaveringly loyal.

“Susie is just functionally built differently because she has the rare ability to be able to work on so many different important issues at the same time,” LaCivita told The Associated Press.

Wiles was the one who had to have the most difficult discussions with Trump and every crucial conversation. She worked well with his family and developed relationships with Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Elon Musk that made her an important mediator in Trump’s burgeoning alliances with those men.

“She can really handle any ego that comes her way,” LaCivita said. “And she doesn’t do anything other than just be very straightforward and stay on top of the details.”

He added: “The most important asset in politics is honesty and loyalty, and Susie has both in abundance.”

Wiles was viewed by Trump aides as someone who could direct his moods and impulses without necessarily constraining them. Trump often referred to Wiles on the campaign trail and publicly praised her leadership in what he often said was his “best-run campaign.”

“She is incredible. Unbelievable,” he said at a rally in Milwaukee earlier this month.

At a rally in Pennsylvania, where Trump made one of his final appearances before the election, he launched into a profane and conspiratorial speech. Wiles was seen standing backstage, seemingly glaring at him.

Later, at a rally in Pittsburgh, Trump appeared to acknowledge his adviser’s efforts to keep him informed.

After complaining that men were no longer allowed to call a woman “beautiful,” he asked if he could remove that word from the record. “I’m allowed to do that, right, Susan Wiles?” he mused.