Trump names immigration hardliner Stephen Miller chief of staff

· Politics · United States

US President Donald Trump on Friday named longtime adviser Stephen Miller as his White House chief of staff, replacing Susie Wiles, who will move to his political operation. The shake-up came three days after Democrats won control of both the House and Senate in the midterms, the Republicans' worst defeat in decades. Miller, a close confidant of Trump since 2016, was the architect of the administration's mass deportation programme and drew heavy criticism after two Minneapolis protesters were shot dead by ICE agents in January. Wiles, the first woman to hold the chief of staff post, thanked Trump for the 'honor of a lifetime'. Democrats such as Chuck Schumer said the promotion showed Trump 'learned nothing' from the result.

Why it matters:The appointment signals Trump intends to double down on hardline immigration policy despite an electoral rout, shaping his remaining term and the White House's dealings with a hostile Congress.

Key points

  • Miller has been a Trump confidant since 2016 and drove the mass deportation programme.
  • Wiles was the first woman to serve as White House chief of staff.
  • Trump revealed the change three days after Democrats swept the House and Senate.

Sources (original reporting)

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