Donald Trump appoints Susie Wiles as chief of staff, we present her to you

UNITED STATES – A reward for the woman who is at the origin of her success. This Thursday, November 7, Donald Trump made the first appointment for his future administration which will officially come to power following his inauguration on January 20. This is Susie Wiles, who will be his chief of staff at the White House.

“Susie Wiles just helped me win one of the greatest political victories in American history (…) Susie is strong, intelligent, innovative and admired and respected by all”he said in a press release two days after his victory against Kamala Harris.

Elle « will continue to work tirelessly to make America great again”assured Donald Trump, in reference to the famous slogan of his “Maga” campaigns for “Make America Great Again”. Susie Wiles thus becomes the first woman to occupy this prestigious position, a “ honor ” according to him “ well deserved ».

The sixty-year-old is not known to the general public, she is also very discreet. For example, she refused to speak on the microphone when Donald Trump brought her on stage on Wednesday to announce his victory. “Susie prefers to stay in the shadows, I tell you. The Ice Maiden. We call her the ice maiden”he then declared.

Long political career behind the scenes

Susan Summerall Wiles, 67, is the daughter of Pat Summerall, a popular former American football player and sports commentator. For 40 years, she has worked in the world of the Republican Party and notably participated in the campaigns of Ronald Reagan then George HW Bush in the 1980s. She then worked with two former Republican mayors of the city of Jacksonville, Florida, where she has lived for many years.

In 2016, she joined Donald Trump’s campaign team but did not follow him to the White House. THE New York Times even wrote in 2023 that the two had barely been in contact during his tenure. She still ran again four years later for the real estate mogul’s second presidential campaign, which was a failure.

In the meantime, Susie Wiles also helped Ron DeSantis, a former close friend of Trump, to be elected governor of Florida in 2018. Since then, they have hated each other. Appointed director of the Trumpist campaign in 2024, but still discreet, she is one of the few to still be in the billionaire’s inner circle after so many years.

A promotion that says a lot

This promotion for the second most strategic position in the White House is therefore not a surprise, she was even the favorite. But this choice of Donald Trump is very telling and shows that the Republican is much more organized than in 2016. Eight years ago, his victory was unexpected and he had not yet formed a network. He then appointed Reince Priebus, chairman of the Republican National Committee, as chief of staff.

This time, he chooses someone close to him who has followed him for years and who even manages to control him. At least she tries to warn him, knows him well and is honest with him. A few days before the election, for example, he complained that men can no longer tell women that they are « belles », then asked that his comments be deleted. “I’m allowed to do that, aren’t I, Susan Wiles?” »he then had fun.

The Associated Press agency specifies that the future chief of staff gets along well with everyone around Donald Trump: his family, the entrepreneur and fervent supporter of the Republican Elon Musk, as well as the anti-vaccine Robert F. Kennedy Jr who could be appointed to the Ministry of Health.

According to CNN, she accepted the job after being assured that she would have more control over who could contact him in the Oval Office. But on the side of ideas, it’s difficult to see clearly. As the New York Times in her article published in 2023, the ideology of the one she serves does not seem to matter to her. Not really MAGA, she is not part of the “election deniers” (which do not recognize the result of the 2020 election). Without finding that he was wrong to contest his defeat.

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