US President-elect Donald Trump has announced his campaign manager, Susan Summerall Wiles, will serve as his White House Chief of Staff when he takes over the presidency next year.In a statement, Trump said that Wiles "just helped me achieve one of the greatest political victories in American history" and "is tough, smart, innovative, and is universally admired and respected". The Trump transition team is currently working to choose top members of the incoming Republican administration, including the heads of all 15 executive departments, such as the secretaries of state and defence.
In his victory speech this week, Trump referred to Wiles, 67, as "the ice maiden" as she stood behind him on stage.As gatekeeper to the president, the chief of staff typically wields great influence. The person manages White House staff, organizes the president's time and schedule, and maintains contact with other government departments and lawmakers.The low-key Wiles, 67, will be the first woman to serve as White House chief of staff.
Trump ran through four chiefs of staff - an unusually high number - during his 2017-2021 term as they struggled to rein in the famously undisciplined president. Wiles previously worked on Ronald Reagan's 1980 presidential campaign and helped Florida's Republican Governor Ron DeSantis win election in 2018. She served as a senior adviser on Trump's 2016 and 2020 bids.Trump chose Wiles over former House of Representatives Speaker Kevin McCarthy, a California Republican who is close to Trump and has been a frequent visitor to Mar-a-Lago.