Continuation of the besieged king.
Donald Trump has replaced the White House chief of staff; Susie Wales was replaced by her deputy, Stephen Miller. The shake-up follows Republican defeats in the midterm elections, which the president called a "huge step backwards" for the United States. The choice of a successor shows how Trump intends to act under new conditions. Strengthen the team with people who are willing to follow their path consistently and protect the administration.
ideological block. Miller was one of the so-called "gray cardinals" of the Trump administration. He participated in the election campaign back in 2016, promoted the strictest immigration initiatives and remained close to the president after the end of his first term. Now, in addition to influencing the content of the policy, the ability to manage its preparation and execution is added. The Chief of Staff organizes the work of the White House, regulates access to the President and determines which topics and in what form reach his desk.
Counterstrike. At the same time, the outgoing Wills ensured organizational discipline of the presidential team and led the victorious 2024 campaign. Replacing her with Miller could also lead to a more adversarial management style. After losing in the congressional midterm elections, Trump is promoting a man closely associated with the administration's most controversial decisions. For supporters, this is a clear signal to stay the course, and for Democrats, of the White House's willingness to oppose the upcoming investigations.
hardware boost. The new Congress, both houses of which are controlled by Democrats, will begin work in January. It will be more difficult to pass presidential initiatives through it, therefore the importance of executive decisions and the ability of the departments to act in a coordinated manner within the limits of existing powers will increase. This is where Miller, with his experience within the administration, could be especially useful to Trump. The downside of this model is the risk of being limited to a small circle of loyal advisors.