Trump's post-midterm White House shake-up: Susie Wiles exits, top Justice Department officials quit
The reshuffle follows Republican losses in the US midterms and mounting scrutiny from a Democrat-controlled Congress.
- Nov 7, 2026,
- Updated Nov 7, 2026 7:31 AM IST
US President Donald Trump has replaced White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles with long-time aide Stephen Miller after Republicans lost control of both chambers of Congress in the midterm elections.
The White House change comes amid wider upheaval in the administration. Two senior US Department of Justice officials resigned on Friday, a day after another top official stepped down, as Democrats prepared to take control of congressional committees and investigate the administration and Trump's business dealings.
Stephen Miller to take over as White House chief of staff
Trump announced the change in a Truth Social post on Friday, praising Wiles for her work and confirming that Miller would take over the influential post. Wiles, the first woman to serve as White House chief of staff, will continue working with Trump's political organisation.
Wiles said serving Trump in the White House had been the “honor of a lifetime”. She said she was proud of the administration's work on border security, taxes and the economy, adding that her commitment to Trump and his political mission would continue.
Miller, currently the White House deputy chief of staff, is among Trump's closest and longest-serving advisers. He has played a central role in shaping the administration's immigration agenda and its policies on border security and deportations.
He joined Trump's first White House campaign as a speechwriter in 2016 and later became an influential member of the President's inner circle, particularly on immigration and national security.
Wiles joined Trump's team during the 2016 presidential campaign, managed his Florida campaign in 2020 and oversaw his nationwide campaign in 2024. Appointed chief of staff at the start of Trump's second term, she became his longest-serving official in the post.
Her departure also comes months after she disclosed an early-stage breast cancer diagnosis in March 2026. Following surgery and treatment, she said in September that there was no longer evidence of the disease.
Democrats win House and Senate in midterm elections
The leadership change follows the November 3 midterm elections, in which Democrats flipped Republican-held seats and ended the party's control of the House of Representatives and the Senate.
Democrats benefited from voter dissatisfaction over the rising cost of living, the economic impact of tariffs and the unpopular US war with Iran. Kansas elected its first Democratic senator in nearly a century, while Democrats defeated Trump's chosen Senate candidate in South Carolina.
The outcome is expected to complicate Trump's legislative agenda during the remaining two years of his presidency. Democratic control of congressional committees will also give the party greater powers to investigate the administration.
Senior Justice Department officials resign
At the Justice Department, National Security Division head John Eisenberg and Jason Reding Quiones, the former US attorney for the Southern District of Florida, resigned on Friday. Their departures came a day after Harmeet Dhillon stepped down as head of the department's civil rights division.
The reasons for the latest resignations were not immediately clear. Their exits leave the department without leaders for two major Trump administration initiatives: revisiting earlier investigations involving the President and taking action against higher education institutions.
Quiones played a prominent role in efforts to reopen investigations involving Trump's political opponents and review earlier criminal investigations concerning the President. His office examined cases linked to Trump's handling of classified documents and alleged contacts between his 2016 campaign and Russia. The inquiry has not resulted in criminal charges.
His Miami office was also involved in the administration's campaigns against Cuba and Venezuela. It brought criminal charges against former Cuban President Raul Castro and is prosecuting Colombian-born businessman Alex Saab, who has close ties to Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.
Under Eisenberg, the National Security Division was involved in the search of a Washington Post reporter's home dauring a leak investigation and efforts to deport an Afghan lawful permanent resident who had not been charged with a crime.
The division also helped review and redact millions of files related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein before their release. The extent of the redactions drew criticism from Democrats and some Republicans.
The White House reshuffle and Justice Department departures come as the Trump administration prepares for increased scrutiny from a Democrat-controlled Congress.
US President Donald Trump has replaced White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles with long-time aide Stephen Miller after Republicans lost control of both chambers of Congress in the midterm elections.
The White House change comes amid wider upheaval in the administration. Two senior US Department of Justice officials resigned on Friday, a day after another top official stepped down, as Democrats prepared to take control of congressional committees and investigate the administration and Trump's business dealings.
Stephen Miller to take over as White House chief of staff
Trump announced the change in a Truth Social post on Friday, praising Wiles for her work and confirming that Miller would take over the influential post. Wiles, the first woman to serve as White House chief of staff, will continue working with Trump's political organisation.
Wiles said serving Trump in the White House had been the “honor of a lifetime”. She said she was proud of the administration's work on border security, taxes and the economy, adding that her commitment to Trump and his political mission would continue.
Miller, currently the White House deputy chief of staff, is among Trump's closest and longest-serving advisers. He has played a central role in shaping the administration's immigration agenda and its policies on border security and deportations.
He joined Trump's first White House campaign as a speechwriter in 2016 and later became an influential member of the President's inner circle, particularly on immigration and national security.
Wiles joined Trump's team during the 2016 presidential campaign, managed his Florida campaign in 2020 and oversaw his nationwide campaign in 2024. Appointed chief of staff at the start of Trump's second term, she became his longest-serving official in the post.
Her departure also comes months after she disclosed an early-stage breast cancer diagnosis in March 2026. Following surgery and treatment, she said in September that there was no longer evidence of the disease.
Democrats win House and Senate in midterm elections
The leadership change follows the November 3 midterm elections, in which Democrats flipped Republican-held seats and ended the party's control of the House of Representatives and the Senate.
Democrats benefited from voter dissatisfaction over the rising cost of living, the economic impact of tariffs and the unpopular US war with Iran. Kansas elected its first Democratic senator in nearly a century, while Democrats defeated Trump's chosen Senate candidate in South Carolina.
The outcome is expected to complicate Trump's legislative agenda during the remaining two years of his presidency. Democratic control of congressional committees will also give the party greater powers to investigate the administration.
Senior Justice Department officials resign
At the Justice Department, National Security Division head John Eisenberg and Jason Reding Quiones, the former US attorney for the Southern District of Florida, resigned on Friday. Their departures came a day after Harmeet Dhillon stepped down as head of the department's civil rights division.
The reasons for the latest resignations were not immediately clear. Their exits leave the department without leaders for two major Trump administration initiatives: revisiting earlier investigations involving the President and taking action against higher education institutions.
Quiones played a prominent role in efforts to reopen investigations involving Trump's political opponents and review earlier criminal investigations concerning the President. His office examined cases linked to Trump's handling of classified documents and alleged contacts between his 2016 campaign and Russia. The inquiry has not resulted in criminal charges.
His Miami office was also involved in the administration's campaigns against Cuba and Venezuela. It brought criminal charges against former Cuban President Raul Castro and is prosecuting Colombian-born businessman Alex Saab, who has close ties to Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.
Under Eisenberg, the National Security Division was involved in the search of a Washington Post reporter's home dauring a leak investigation and efforts to deport an Afghan lawful permanent resident who had not been charged with a crime.
The division also helped review and redact millions of files related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein before their release. The extent of the redactions drew criticism from Democrats and some Republicans.
The White House reshuffle and Justice Department departures come as the Trump administration prepares for increased scrutiny from a Democrat-controlled Congress.