WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump on Friday named close aide Stephen Miller as his new chief of staff, promoting the architect of his hard-line migration policy after the Republican Party’s brutal midterms defeat.

Miller will replace current White House chief of staff Susie Wiles as of Monday, Trump said on his Truth Social network, thanking Wiles for an “outstanding job.”

Hyper loyalist Miller, 41, has been one of Trump’s closest aides for more than a decade and is the president’s most powerful and hawkish voice on immigration.

“I am pleased to announce that Mr. Stephen Miller, the current Deputy Chief of Staff of the Trump Administration, and one of my most trusted advisers, will become the Chief of Staff starting Monday, November 9, 2026,” Trump wrote.

“Susie Wiles, who has done an outstanding job, will be moving over to the Trump Political Operation. I want to thank her for her service as Chief of Staff — She has done a great job!“

Miller, who also holds the title of homeland security adviser, has been instrumental in driving the mass deportation program, often featuring violent raids by masked agents, during Trump’s second term.

Miller faced particular criticism after the deadly shootings of two protesters by immigration agents in Minneapolis in January — incidents that sparked mass demonstrations.

The White House had recently vigorously pushed back against reports that Wiles, the first ever female chief of staff to a US president, was set to be sacked.

But the appointment of Miller indicates Trump, 80, is ready to double down on his policies after losing control of the House and Senate to Democrats in a landslide.

Wiles, 69, who announced recently that she had been given the all-clear from breast cancer, said in a statement on X that Friday would be her last day in her job.

“Serving President Trump in the White House has been the honor of a lifetime,” she wrote.

“I’m so proud to have been a part of what we’ve accomplished together from securing our border and cutting taxes to strengthening our economy and putting America First.”