President Donald Trump on Friday appointed Stephen Miller, the architect of his hard-line immigration agenda, as his new chief of staff, signaling an aggressive White House response after Republicans suffered heavy losses in the midterm elections.
Miller, 41, one of Trump's most loyal advisers, will replace Susie Wiles, marking the first major departure from the White House following the Democrats' sweeping victories earlier this week.
Democrats vowed to oppose Miller's appointment "every step of the way," pointing to his central role in shaping Trump's controversial immigration crackdown.
He has become closely associated with images of masked immigration agents carrying out violent operations and faced fierce criticism for defending federal agents involved in the fatal shootings of two Americans.
"I wanted to make a change," Trump told reporters at the White House when asked why he had chosen Miller to replace Wiles.
"Sometimes in life you have to make moves."
Trump's decision was particularly striking because he had repeatedly insisted before the midterms that there was "zero chance" of replacing Wiles.
A White House official told Agence France-Presse (AFP) that Wiles had resigned Thursday night.
But naming the combative Miller sent the clearest possible signal that Trump was prepared to take a more confrontational approach after briefly reaching out to Democrats following the Republican midterm losses.
"He's a great fighter," Trump said later at the airport in West Palm Beach, Florida, where he was accompanied by Miller. "He's been with me right from the beginning ... and he's very loyal."
Miller has been one of Trump's closest aides for years, championing nativist policies that aligned with the president's "America First" agenda.
At Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida on Friday night, Miller addressed a crowd of party supporters, praising Trump and pledging his unwavering loyalty.
"It is the honor of my life to be President Trump's chief of staff," Miller said in a video posted to the president's Truth Social account.
As Trump's deputy chief of staff for policy and homeland security adviser, Miller was the driving force behind the mass deportation program that defined the first year of the president's second term.
But he faced widespread criticism following the fatal shootings of two protesters by immigration agents in Minneapolis in January, incidents that sparked mass demonstrations.
"Stephen Miller is the architect of the most barbaric, inhumane policies of this administration. Trump couldn't have made a worse choice," Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer posted on X.
"Our Democratic majorities will fight him every step of the way."
In an earlier post on Truth Social announcing Miller's appointment, Trump described him as "one of my most trusted advisers."
Trump said Wiles had "done an outstanding job" and would be "moving over to the Trump Political Operation. I want to thank her for her service as Chief of Staff -- She has done a great job!"
White House communications director Steven Cheung described Miller as a "Trump OG, someone who has been with the President since the very beginning."
"He will help the Administration deliver on monumental victories for the rest of this historic second term," Cheung added.
Senior administration figures also praised Wiles, the first woman to serve as White House chief of staff, whom Trump dubbed the "ice maiden" for maintaining discipline in the West Wing.
For most of the past two years, the 69-year-old had largely prevented the chaotic staff changes and internal feuding that marred Trump's first term.
But as the midterms approached, Wiles' position increasingly appeared uncertain. She recently announced that she had been given the all-clear following treatment for breast cancer.
"Serving President Trump in the White House has been the honor of a lifetime," Wiles said in a statement on X, adding that Friday would be her last day in the job.
"I'm so proud to have been a part of what we've accomplished together, from securing our border and cutting taxes to strengthening our economy and putting America First."
Prominent figures in Trump's Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement, which suffered midterm setbacks, welcomed Miller's appointment.
"It's Miller Time," right-wing journalist Jack Posobiec posted, invoking a familiar advertising slogan for an American beer brand.
Trump sat for an interview with CBS News' "60 Minutes," which is scheduled to air Sunday. In excerpts released ahead of the broadcast, he said he expected to make a "little bit" of additional staff changes.
"I'll ... be doing maybe a few changes. I don't wanna mention who," he said.
