WASHINGTON — President Trump sought to put to rest two days of speculation that he might replace White House chief of staff Susie Wiles, saying Friday there is “zero chance” of her firing and that Wiles is “going to be here for a long time.”
Wiles, who was declared cancer-free last month after working through medical treatments, is regularly introduced by Trump as the world’s most powerful woman and the person most responsible for returning him to the White House, but she nonetheless found her fate the talk of Washington this week.
Politico’s influential Playbook newsletter reported on Thursday that Trump was asking allies for their thoughts on who might be a suitable replacement for Wiles — unleashing a swirl of rumors and campaigning as the chief of staff appeared to be on the ropes.
Trump called the report “fake news” on Friday, adding, “I could not be more happy with Susie.”
A close outside adviser to Trump told The Post that “I can tell when he is being genuine, and he really meant that.”
Wiles is widely credited with bringing stability and cohesion to the West Wing staff after the four years of Trump’s first term were consumed by ceaseless personnel drama and speculation about the next aide to be fired.
In a sign that Wiles’ power might be waning, Trump made an on-the-spot job offer last Friday to Katie Zacharia to be press secretary. Wiles was aware that Trump was courting Zacharia, but she was not part of the interview and had not pushed for her candidacy.
Zacharia was out of a job this Friday after fewer than five days of work following an unsteady 14-minute press briefing on Tuesday and a series of unflattering appearances on Fox News — giving an implicit boost to Wiles due to the fact she bore no responsibility for the hasty hiring.
Wiles and other senior Trump allies have been the subject of intrigue as insiders expect that Trump will want to blame someone if Republicans perform poorly in the Nov. 3 midterm elections.
The president is not expected to blame himself after barnstorming the country, trying to defy bleak polling by turning out his base of supporters.
“Trump is getting restless and once [he] feels he is losing, he always takes control,” a former senior Trump aide told The Post shortly before the president affirmed his support for the chief. “[If] Susie was smart she would leave and go make money without a DJT problem.”
Last week, Trump publicly fumed over the revelation that two leaders of the MAGA Inc. super PAC, Chris LaCivita and James Blair, took time out from the US campaign to visit the pro-Russian Republika Srpska in Bosnia and Herzegovina for a well-paid side hustle.
That junket gave the appearance that Trump’s team was diverting their attention from his own political fate. If Republicans lose the midterms, Trump, his administration and his family are expected to face dogged Democratic investigations that could lead to his third impeachment.
After LaCivita and Blair’s trip was revealed, subsequent reports noted that Wiles’ daughter, Katie, had also recently traveled to the Bosnian territory.
LaCivita ran Trump’s 2024 comeback campaign alongside Wiles, and Blair served as her deputy in the West Wing until April, describing himself as her “junkyard dog.”
Although LaCivita and Blair have been close to Wiles, many insiders described their one-time alliance as fractured. Others described a complex blame game emerging as key Trump lieutenants are looking out for their jobs and reputations in anticipation of massive fallout if Republicans lose the midterms.
“All the infighting [is] so so great two weeks ahead of midterms,” one administration official exclaimed.
Meanwhile, speculation is mounting about who might want to replace Wiles, including federal housing official Bill Pulte, who frequently travels on Air Force One and recently served as acting intelligence director, and deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller.
Longtime Wiles critics, such as Corey Lewandowski, are circling. The ex-campaign aide who was driven out of the Department of Homeland Security with Kristi Noem has been pushing for Pulte, according to the Washington Post, though Lewandowski has denied such conversations with Trump.
Sources inside and close to the White House said that they view Wiles’ daughter’s work as possible fodder for further attacks alleging corruption — after Wiles earned a reputation as an exception to allegations of self-dealing among top aides in Trump’s second term.
“Stephen Miller might feel it is finally his time and start really cutting at the ‘Susie’ squad,” an insider said.
Another said, however, that it’s possible Republicans will beat expectations, keeping losses low in the House and retaining the Senate, adding, “As long as she wants the job, I think she could have it.”
Some Republican sources argue that staff would not be blamed for an election wipeout, pointing to the effects of the longer-than-anticipated Iran war, which has spurred voter frustrations with higher energy prices, rising inflation and increased interest rates.
“Anyone with even a modicum of honest self reflection would admit that the driving force behind potential GOP midterm losses is the war in Iran,” said a source close to the White House.
“It split the president’s coalition, reminded swing voters that the administration wasn’t focusing on their domestic concerns and most importantly triggered a rise in gas prices. It’s ironic to me that so many of the voices in elite conservative media circles lamenting our current political predicament were also some of the biggest cheerleaders for bombing Iran.”
