Although Americans will not see their first female president in 2024, at least one woman will make a major glass-ceiling breakthrough -- the first female to serve as White House chief of staff.
Donald Trump's election victory over Kamala Harris has opened the door for Susie Wiles, considered the architect of his winning campaign, to become his White House chief of staff when Trump is inaugurated on Jan. 20, 2025.
"Susie Wiles just helped me achieve one of the greatest political victories in American history, and was an integral part of both my 2016 and 2020 successful campaigns," Trump said on Thursday in a statement.
Although it has been decades since Wiles served in Washington, D.C., she has become a rising star in Florida politics. She led Trump's successful 2016 and 2020 campaigns in the state and helped Gov. Ron DeSantis get elected in 2018.
A fallout with DeSantis led to Wiles being briefly fired from Trump's 2020 campaign in the Sunshine State, but she returned to lead his national effort in 2024. Her loyalty was rewarded with the key position that will assist in Trump's White House hires.
"Susie is tough, smart, innovative, and is universally admired and respected," said Trump, who nicknamed Wiles "The Ice Baby" for her cool demeanor "Susie will continue to work tirelessly to Make America Great Again."
The chief of staff role, considered critical to managing the president's staff and schedule, saw a revolving door in Trump's first term. He had four over four years -- Reince Priebus, Gen. John Kelly, Mick Mulvaney and Mark Meadows -- and he had several high-profile disputes with them.
Wiles previously served under former President Ronald Reagan in the Department of Labor and as a White House scheduler. She also worked on Capitol Hill under late New York Rep. Jack Kemp.
