Two days after President-elect Donald Trump’s decisive victory in the 2024 presidential election, Susie Wiles was appointed as his White House chief of staff, signaling the president-elect’s intention to prioritize order and discipline in his second term. Since then, Wiles has acted swiftly, issuing a stern warning to administration officials that internal discord would not be tolerated under her leadership.
In her first interview since taking on the role, Wiles shared her vision for a West Wing free from the factionalism and infighting that marked Trump’s first term. “I don’t welcome people who want to work solo or be a star,” said Wiles in an email to Axios. “My team and I will not tolerate backbiting, second-guessing inappropriately, or drama. These are counterproductive to the mission.”
During the early days of Trump’s first presidency, the West Wing became a chaotic environment marked by power struggles, leaks, and competing agendas. Wiles, who was not part of the administration at that time, is determined to prevent a recurrence of those dynamics. Setting her sights beyond the commonly discussed first 100 days of a new administration—what she calls “an artificial metric”—Wiles believes the critical period will be from the inauguration to the 2026 midterms. During this key two-year span, with Republicans holding full control of Congress, her focus will be on moving forward aggressively.
Wiles stressed a strategy that involves “getting off to a quick start and staying on that pace, together with an expectation of excellence every day.” She explained that the agenda is focused on “engendering public support” to fulfill Trump’s commitments and policy goals. These priorities include increasing energy production, eliminating redundant and burdensome regulations, maintaining low taxes, reducing government waste through the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), “and most importantly, sealing the border and deporting criminals who are in this country illegally.”
“I have every hope that the 47 administration will not have the same number of attempts to put sand in the gears,” she said, noting, “We are off to a fast start with congressional work, hiring the best people, preliminary discussion with heads of state, fine-tuning his policy agenda, and planning for the first 100 days.” In the interview with Axios’ Marc Caputo, the advisor highlighted Trump’s hands-on involvement.
“He knows much more about the way the Washington institutions work, especially the need to have people who are serving be both competent and loyal. He has taken a keen interest in personnel and has personally interviewed and hired all the Cabinet and many sub-Cabinet hires,” she explained. Regarding the transition process, the advisor said, “He engaged fully with hiring … He interviewed the Cabinet leadership, and made it clear his priorities for White House and agency staff.
“We set timelines and held ourselves accountable for the deadlines we set. President Trump 47 will have the finest public servants available with great work ethic, a demonstrated ability to break down bureaucratic walls to help hold the bloated federal workforce accountable, have fealty to the conservative and common-sense principles that President Trump ran — and won — on, and be determined to make a difference during their time serving. We are cognizant of a turning clock — much to do.” She said, “The West Wing staff is a mix of new and veterans — many are young, all are prepared to work punishing hours,” adding, “To my core, I believe in teamwork. Anyone who cannot be counted on to be collaborative, and focused on our shared goals, isn’t working in the West Wing.”