Who is Susie Wiles? What to know about Trump’s new chief of staff.
Wiles will become the first woman to hold the role of White House chief of staff, a powerful position that can shape a president's impact.
President-elect Donald Trump announced that Susie Wiles, who managed his reelection campaign, would become his chief of staff. It makes Wiles the first woman to hold the role, the most senior political appointee in the White House with significant power and influence.
Though she’s considered a “Washington outsider” by some, Wiles is a veteran of Florida politics, having worked with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former Gov. Rick Scott, and two former Republican Jacksonville mayors.
Throughout Trump’s campaign, Wiles earned a reputation for being able to rein in the former president, known for his desire to go off-message and lean into impulse. Wiles was credited with keeping the effort more focused than his previous campaigns.
In a statement, Trump called Wiles “tough, smart, innovative,” and said she’s “universally admired and respected.”
Here’s what you need to know about Wiles and her new gig.
Who is Susie Wiles?
Wiles, 67, was born and raised in New Jersey and is the daughter of the late NFL player and sportscaster Pat Summerall.
She graduated from the University of Maryland and began working with Republican politicians in her early 20s, starting as an assistant for the late Rep. Jack Kemp (R., N.Y). Kemp was one of Summerall’s New York Giants teammates.
Wiles married Republican consultant Lanny Wiles and the pair lived together in Jacksonville, Fla. They had two children together before divorcing in 2017.
She’s worked as a lobbyist and in a mix of local and national campaign and staff management roles for Republican politicians over the years in Florida and beyond.
Why is she called ‘Ice Baby?’
A nod to Wiles’ low-key public persona, rarely giving interviews and avoiding speaking engagements, Trump quipped during his victory speech Wednesday that his team calls Wiles “Ice Baby” and “Ice Maiden.”
Even when Trump asked Wiles to say a few words to the crowd that night, she looked noticeably uncomfortable and declined.
“Susie likes to stay sort of in the back,” Trump said. “Let me tell you, the Ice Baby — we call her the Ice Baby … Susie likes to stay in the background. She’s not in the background.”
Wiles is the first female White House chief of staff
The chief of staff role is considered the second-most-important office in the West Wing. It’s one of the few remaining federal government jobs that hasn’t been held by a woman — until now.
Vice President Kamala Harris was the first woman to hold her current role. As noted by CNN, women have held other senior positions in government, including almost all cabinet posts, top judicial seats, and House leadership roles.
But, amplified by Harris’ loss to Trump, no woman has ever been president, and none have served on the joint chiefs of staff or as the chief justice of the Supreme Court.
Wiles will be the 32nd White House chief of staff.
“It is a well deserved honor to have Susie as the first-ever female Chief of Staff in United States history,” Trump said in his statement. “I have no doubt that she will make our country proud.”
What does a White House chief of staff do?
Chief of staff is an intense and demanding role, serving as the president’s top aide while also managing senior White House staff, overseeing daily operations. They’re also responsible for assembling the president’s staff.
It’s a powerful role that can shape a president’s impact and their execution of policy and vision throughout the term.
During his first term, Trump cycled through four chiefs of staff. Not all left on good terms.
His longest-serving chief of staff was John Kelly, who went on to call Trump a fascist and warn against him serving a second term as president. Reince Priebus and Mark Meadows also served in the role, while Mick Mulvaney served as an acting chief of staff.
What’s Wiles’ history with Donald Trump and Ron DeSantis?
Wiles has worked for Trump on and off since 2016, when she played a key role in helping Trump win Florida, flipping the state red and sparking a conservative push that continues today.
During the 2018 Florida gubernatorial election, Trump called on Wiles to work on Republican Ron DeSantis’ campaign. DeSantis called Wiles “the best in the business” in his victory speech.
But bad blood developed between the pair.
In an interview with the Atlantic, Wiles recalled being unceremoniously banished from DeSantis’ inner circle and not knowing why. She’s gone on to call working with DeSantis the “biggest mistake” of her career.
She rejoined Trump’s Florida operations in 2020. A year later, she was named CEO of Trump’s Save America PAC. She transitioned into a senior member of his team shortly after Trump announced his campaign.
Who else has Wiles worked with?
Wiles has worked for a mix of Republicans, including Ronald Reagan’s Labor Department and Mitt Romney’s Florida Advisory Council.
Politico described her resumé as working for Republicans “across the ideological spectrum.”
She was the deputy director of operations for George H.W. Bush’s 1988 presidential campaign and also ran Rick Scott’s 2010 campaign for Florida governor.
Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush — who ran against Trump for the GOP presidential nomination in 2016 — called Wiles a “great choice” for chief of staff.