Trump Appoints Susie Wiles First Female White House Chief of Staff

President-elect Donald Trump announced on Thursday that he has appointed campaign co-chair Susie Wiles as his White House chief of staff, making her the first woman to be selected for the influential role.

Wiles, often referred to as the “Ice Maiden,” is widely recognized as one of the key strategists behind Trump’s successful presidential campaigns.

“Susie Wiles played a pivotal role in one of the greatest political victories in American history and was instrumental in both my 2016 and 2020 campaigns,” Trump, 78, said in a statement. At 67, Wiles helped manage the Trump-Vance campaign alongside senior adviser Chris LaCivita. Known for her behind-the-scenes work, she maintained a low public profile throughout Trump’s third bid for the presidency.

Trump publicly acknowledged Wiles’ contributions during his victory speech on Wednesday. “The job you did! Come here, Susie,” he called to her from the podium. “Susie likes to stay in the background, let me tell you. We call her the Ice Maiden,” he said with a smile, before adding, “She’s not in the background.”

When Wiles declined to speak, Trump playfully remarked, “Look at this, she’s shy,” before adding, “I’ve never seen her be shy before. Susie!”

The daughter of legendary NFL player and broadcaster Pat Summerall, Wiles has long been a respected figure in GOP circles. Her political career includes serving as an assistant to the late Rep. Jack Kemp (R-NY) and working as a campaign scheduler for Ronald Reagan’s 1980 presidential campaign.

Wiles rose to national prominence as a top GOP strategist after helping Rick Scott win Florida’s governorship in 2010. “If you don’t know her, you soon will. Susie Wiles will go down as one of the greatest campaign strategists. To the Democrats’ detriment, she’s been part of every winning campaign in Florida,” Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-Fla.) tweeted in support of Wiles on Wednesday.

In 2016, Wiles was instrumental in managing Trump’s operations in Florida, a state critical to his election victory. She also played a key role in supporting Ron DeSantis’ successful 2018 gubernatorial campaign. DeSantis later praised Wiles as “the best in the business” during his victory speech.

Despite a fallout between the two, which saw DeSantis encourage Trump to sever ties with Wiles during the 2020 election, Trump ultimately re-engaged Wiles in his orbit. She stood by him throughout the 2020 campaign and was later appointed CEO of the Trump-aligned Save America PAC. Wiles played a central role in Trump’s political operations leading up to the launch of his 2024 presidential campaign in November 2022, which she quickly took charge of.

Though she generally avoids the spotlight, Wiles made headlines earlier this year after responding to billionaire Mark Cuban’s criticism that Trump didn’t surround himself with strong, intelligent women. Cuban later walked back his comment, but Wiles fired back with a rare post on X, saying, “I’m told [Cuban] needs help identifying the strong and intelligent women surrounding President Trump. Well, here we are! I’ve been proud to lead this campaign.”

As White House chief of staff, Wiles will oversee the administration’s operations, provide advice to the president, and manage key aspects of the executive branch.

Trump had four different chiefs of staff during his first term: Reince Priebus, John Kelly, Mick Mulvaney (who served in an acting capacity), and Mark Meadows.