Now that the champagne corks have been popped at Mar-a-Lago, Donald Trump is knuckling down to assemble his White House team for his second term. Many of his former staffers won’t be returning because they’ve fallen out of favor with the president-elect, and one former advisor, Ivanka Trump, is done with politics and seems determined not to be pulled back in. But just two days after election day, Trump made history when he announced the appointment of his new chief of staff. Susie Wiles, his campaign co-manager, has accepted the post, making her the first woman ever to hold the high position. “Susie is tough, smart, innovative, and is universally admired and respected. Susie will continue to work tirelessly to Make America Great Again,” Trump said in a statement (via CNN). “I have no doubt that she will make our country proud.”
When Wiles made an appearance with the triumphant Trumps on election night, it was the first time many fans had ever seen her. The woman Trump affectionately refers to as “The Ice Maiden” isn’t as outspoken as other members of his team. You won’t see Wiles shouting at rallies the way Kimberly Guilfoyle does, or wearing a garbage bag-inspired jacket, as Alina Habba memorably did. And she’s definitely not as prolific a social media user as her boss; her Instagram account was only just created on November 5. But her one post to date shows a keen wit: Responding to a snark Mark Cuban had recently made, Wiles wrote, “I’m told @mcuban needs help identifying the strong and intelligent women surrounding Pres. Trump. Well, here we are! I’ve been proud to lead this campaign.”
Susie Wiles has a famous dad and a long political career
Some who aren’t familiar with Susie Wiles may recognize her father’s name. The incoming presidential chief of staff is the daughter of the late Pat Summerall, the former NFL placekicker who went on to fame as a CBS color commentator alongside John Madden. When Summerall developed a serious drinking problem, Wiles helped convince him to seek treatment that ultimately saved his life.
Wiles’ passion for politics began in 1979 when she was hired as an assistant to Rep. Jack Kemp, and she went on to serve on Ronald Reagan’s presidential campaign team. In 2016, Wiles was tapped to run a certain real estate mogul’s campaign, a task which seemed daunting at the time — who knew Donald Trump had his eye on the White House? But she helped secure Trump’s place in history not just once, but twice. Her credits also include helping both Rick Scott and Ron DeSantis win the Florida governor’s spot.
Divorced since 2017 from fellow Republican Lanny Wiles, Susie Wiles lives in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. She’s the mother of daughters Katie and Caroline and “Grand” to grandchild Easton. Caroline was also involved with the Trump White House briefly as head of scheduling, but resigned after she failed to pass a background check. Naturally, Wiles is a passionate football fan whose X (formerly Twitter) feed is filled with comments on her beloved Jacksonville Jaguars; she’s also partial to her father’s former team, the New York Giants. Don’t expect her to switch loyalties to the Commanders once she’s back in D.C., however.
