Newsweek36%
Susie Wiles: The ‘Remarkable’ Constant in Trump’s White House 79%
By Jasmine Laws0%
6/25/2026, 9:00:00 AM
BS Summary: This article contains 28 faulty reasoning types, including Hasty Generalization, Appeal to Authority, and Post Hoc (False Cause), with Halo Effect as the most egregious example at 24.9% saturation with 303 hits. Analysis detected 2,866 faulty-reasoning hits from 1,217 analyzed words, generating a BS Score of 70.5% and a BS Rank of 79% (4,660 of 21,887 articles). This article is worse (more manipulative) than 78.70% of the article peer group.
One year and 156 days into the job, Susie Wiles has already outlasted every White House chief of staff from Donald Trump’s first term, becoming a symbol of a more stable second presidency behind the scenes than the last.
Wiles, who took office on January 20, 2025, has now surpassed the tenure of John Kelly, who, between July 2017 and January 2019, was the longest-serving chief in an administration that cycled through senior officials at a rapid pace.
"The fact that Susie Wiles has survived this long in the hardest unelected job in Washington is truly remarkable," said David Cohen, director of the Applied Politics Program at the University of Akron.
"In his first term, Trump chewed through staff and had four chiefs of staff in a four-year presidency."
In Trump’s first administration, the chief of staff role became a revolving door, with Reince Priebus, Kelly, Mick Mulvaney and Mark Meadows struggling to impose order.
That volatility also extended beyond the chief of staff’s office: by the end of Trump’s first term, turnover among senior advisers reached roughly 92 percent, setting a modern record, according to data from Brookings, a non-partisan think tank.
The contrast in Trump’s second term is notable.
Through 2025, not a single member of Trump’s Cabinet departed the administration, and turnover of senior staff positions was 29 percent, compared with the 35 percent turnover in the first year of Trump's first term, according to the Brookings data.
That said, Trump has since lost several Cabinet officials this year, and turnover among senior staff still remains higher than historical norms.
For example, former President Joe Biden had an 8 percent turnover in his first year, former President Barack Obama had a 9 percent turnover, and former President George W.
Bush had a turnover of 6 percent.
Before becoming Trump’s chief of staff, Wiles built a reputation as a disciplined political operator, credited with helping Ron DeSantis win Florida’s 2018 gubernatorial race and later steering Trump’s successful 2024 presidential campaign.
A veteran of Trump’s orbit dating back to 2016, she entered the West Wing with both deep institutional knowledge and the president’s trust.
Trump has described her as “one of the best White House chiefs of staff ever in history.”
Newsweek has contacted Wiles via email for comment.
Wiles’ lengthy tenure relative to her predecessors under Trump appears to stem from a mix of structural factors and personal approach.
Even before the inauguration, Wiles signaled she would impose a more tightly controlled environment, aimed at limiting the factional infighting and “drama” that defined much of Trump’s first presidency.
"She has, to this point, managed to keep much - though not all - of the loud infighting that dominated Trump's first term - under wraps," Andrew Rudalevige, a professor of government at Bowdoin College, Maine, told Newsweek, adding that she appears to be “well respected” inside the White House.
He also pointed to a more consolidated inner circle, with “very few if any independent voices,” allowing Wiles to structure an advising process that closely aligns with Trump’s instincts.
Loyalty has also been central to her staying power.
“Wiles has been with Trump for years and is the loyalist of loyal; because of that she has stuck around longer than expected," Cohen said.
He added that while Trump can be a "famously difficult person to work for," Wiles has been "expert at avoiding the ire of Trump and getting on his bad side."
"Unlike Kelly who tried to rein in Trump’s worst impulses, Wiles seems to have adopted a strategy whereby she lets Trump be Trump then quietly tries to clean up the mess after," he added.
Trump’s first-term chiefs of staff struggled with internal conflict and the challenge of managing a president resistant to traditional constraints.
Priebus was ousted amid factional infighting and early legislative setbacks, while Kelly, who was brought in to restore order, found it difficult to fully control West Wing dynamics.
Mulvaney, who was acting chief of staff, was replaced with Meadows after he made several remarks that angered Trump.
James Pfiffner, a professor of policy and government at George Mason University, told Newsweek: "Trump trusts [Wiles] and allows her to do her job, which is very difficult for anyone who works for [him]."
He added this, alongside her own political experience, has enabled her to "avoid the problems and pitfalls of previous chiefs of staff."
He also said the fact that Wiles’ Vanity Fair interview - which quoted her saying Trump had "an alcoholic’s personality" and criticizing other White House officials - did not get her fired "speaks volumes about Trump’s trust in (and need for) her."
Instead, many officials jumped in to defend her after the article's publication.
Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt underscored that dynamic, telling Newsweek that “President Trump has no greater or more loyal advisor than Chief of Staff Susie Wiles,” crediting her with helping deliver what she described as a highly successful start to the administration.
Of course, Wiles might be a "Trump survivor," as Rudalevige put it, but he pointed out that her tenure is still relatively "low" compared to other chief of staffs in history.
Andrew Card, for example, served George W.
Bush in the role for over five years.
Wiles’ tenure now stretches into a critical political window, with Republicans preparing for the 2026 midterms.
Historically, high turnover has complicated presidential agendas by disrupting policy continuity and weakening coordination across agencies, while stability, especially at the chief-of-staff level, can help enforce consistent priorities and even maintain voter trust.
David Cohen, of the University of Akron, said it is "notable" Wiles remains in her role ahead of the midterms.
"The last thing a White House and POTUS want to deal with during an election year is searching for and onboarding a new chief of staff," he said, adding that "stability is crucial during an election year."
Matthew Dickinson, a professor of political science at Middlebury College, Vermont, told Newsweek that Wiles has campaign experience, so she will likely be "advising Trump on which candidates to back in the 2026 midterms and what message to campaign on in support of those candidates."
Karen Hult, a professor of political science at Virginia Tech, said she suspected Wiles' long-term relationship with Trump and her capability in the role could keep her in “good stead” to remain his chief of staff, at least until after the midterms.
She added that "timing likely also may be a factor in not making a change," as members of Congress and voters could see staff turnover as an “indicator of presidential ‘weakness’” ahead of the midterms.
In short, Wiles' disciplined management style, alignment with Trump’s governing instincts, and long-standing relationship with the president have created a far more durable tenure than many observers expected at the outset of a second Trump administration.
As James Pfiffner of George Mason University put it, "it is truly amazing that Wiles is still there."
For now, Wiles has done what none of her predecessors under Trump could: stay.
Whether she remains through the midterms or beyond will help determine whether the stability of Trump's second White House proves lasting or temporary.
As James Pfiffner of George Mason University put it, "it is truly amazing that Wiles is still there."
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