In the quiet aftermath of a midterm election that handed Congress to the opposition, the presidency is reshaping its inner circle. Susie Wiles, the chief of staff who stood near the center of the administration, has left her post, and Stephen Miller is stepping into it. The president, speaking in a recorded interview that will air Sunday, acknowledged that a few more changes are coming, a reminder that power often reorganizes itself after the voters have spoken. What comes next will show whether the shift is a single adjustment or the first movement of a larger reckoning.
Trump Tells 60 Minutes to Expect Post-Midterm Firings as Miller Named to Replace Wiles
"Sometimes in life, you have to make moves."
Mark
Why does Wiles leaving matter so much?
Mimi
She's among the most powerful people to leave this administration. Until now the departures were a few Cabinet officials: Bondi, Noem and Chavez-DeRemer.
Mark
And the timing? The interview and the announcement came the same day.
Mimi
Hours apart. Trump told 60 Minutes he'd do "maybe a few changes," and then Miller was named to replace Wiles.
Luke
Is it confirmed that the midterm losses caused her exit?
Mimi
CBS News reported that her resignation, submitted Thursday, was tied to the midterm defeats. That's reporting, not a statement from Wiles. Trump's own words were that he "wanted to make a change."
Luke
So we don't know her reasons in her own words.
Mimi
Not from this piece, no.
Mark
What about Hegseth?
Mimi
Trump said he has confidence in him, even though he asked advisers this week whether Hegseth should stay.
Luke
And "for now" is our framing, not a promise from the president. Also, his claims about winning wars and Venezuela are his own characterization. The source doesn't verify them.
Mark
So what's the open question?
Mimi
Who else goes. Trump said "a few" changes, but named no one.
O Pulso
- Republicans lost both chambers of Congress, and the fallout is already moving through the West Wing.
- Chief of Staff Susie Wiles resigned Thursday, a departure tied to the midterm defeats and among the most significant of this administration.
- Stephen Miller was named within hours to take over as chief of staff, signaling a swift attempt to steady the operation.
- Trump told 60 Minutes he expects to make "a little bit" of firing and "maybe a few changes," keeping the Cabinet on edge.
- Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is under scrutiny, but Trump says he has confidence in him for now, leaving his future open.
In the quiet aftermath of a midterm election that handed Congress to the opposition, the presidency is reshaping its inner circle. Susie Wiles, the chief of staff who stood near the center of the administration, has left her post, and Stephen Miller is stepping into it. The president, speaking in a recorded interview that will air Sunday, acknowledged that a few more changes are coming, a reminder that power often reorganizes itself after the voters have spoken. What comes next will show whether the shift is a single adjustment or the first movement of a larger reckoning.
When 60 Minutes correspondent Ross Douthat asked President Trump whether he expected to fire anyone after Republicans lost both chambers of Congress, the answer came quickly and plainly: "I do, yeah. Little bit." Within hours, the president announced that Stephen Miller would replace Susie Wiles as White House chief of staff.
The interview was recorded before that announcement and will air Sunday on CBS and Paramount+. In it, Mr. Trump praised his Cabinet, saying "I love my Cabinet," while adding that he would be making "maybe a few changes."
The change at the top came first. Wiles submitted her resignation Thursday, and CBS News reported that it was tied to the Republican defeats in the midterms. Mr. Trump told reporters Friday that he "wanted to make a change," adding that "sometimes in life, you have to make moves."
Wiles is among the most powerful figures to leave the administration, and only a handful of Cabinet officials have departed this year. The president, who built his public image on firing people, has largely kept his team intact until now.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has drawn particular attention. Mr. Trump asked advisers this week whether he should stay, but in the interview he said he had confidence in him. He defended the secretary by pointing to results, claiming the U.S. had "won two wars" and "won Venezuela."
For now, Hegseth appears safe by the president's own account. The question is who else goes, and how soon, as the administration adjusts to a Congress no longer under Republican control.
When 60 Minutes correspondent Ross Douthat asked President Trump whether he expected to fire anyone after Republicans lost both chambers of Congress, the answer was short. "I do, yeah. Little bit," Mr. Trump said. Within hours, he announced that Stephen Miller would replace Susie Wiles as White House chief of staff.
The interview, recorded before the announcement, will air on Sunday, Nov. 8, at 7 p.m. ET/PT on CBS and Paramount+. In it, Mr. Trump spoke warmly of his Cabinet while signaling that changes were coming. "I love my Cabinet. I think they're good," he said, before adding that he would be "doing maybe a few changes."
The change at the top came first. Wiles submitted her resignation on Thursday, and CBS News reported that her departure was tied to the Republican defeats in the midterm elections. On Friday, after announcing that she was leaving, Mr. Trump told reporters he "wanted to make a change." He added: "sometimes in life, you have to make moves."
Wiles is among the most powerful people to leave the administration. Before her, only a few Cabinet officials had departed this year: Attorney General Pam Bondi, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer. Otherwise, the president who rose to national fame by firing people on television has largely kept his team intact.
One name that has drawn attention is Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. This week Mr. Trump asked advisers whether the Pentagon chief should stay on. When Douthat asked in the interview whether he had confidence in Hegseth, the president answered, "I do."
He then defended the secretary by pointing to results. "Look, we've won two wars," Mr. Trump said. He said the U.S. had "won Venezuela" and "taken out billions and billions and billions of dollars already," and that more would follow. "You could call it a territory, you could call it whatever you want," he said. "We won that war in less than one hour."
The picture, then, is of a president who says he is content with his Cabinet but has just replaced his chief of staff, and who has said more changes are likely. Hegseth appears safe for now, by the president's own account. What to watch is who else goes, and how soon, as Mr. Trump's team adjusts to a Congress that is no longer under Republican control.
Citações Notáveis
I do, yeah. Little bit.— President Trump, on whether he expects to fire anyone, to 60 Minutes
Sometimes in life, you have to make moves.— President Trump, to reporters on Wiles' departure
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