With former chief of staff Susie Wiles now replaced by Stephen Miller, President Donald Trump is expected to make further changes to his administration as he prepares for two years of investigations and hostility from a Democratic-controlled Congress.
Lawmakers are planning investigations into the Trump administration and moving to impeach senior officials, including Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
President Donald J. Trump delivers remarks the day before the midterm elections, Monday, November 2, 2026, at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. (Official White House Photo by Joyce Boghosian)
President Donald J. Trump makes remarks at a Hispanic Heritage Month Celebration in the East Room, Wednesday, September 30, 2026, at the White House. (Official White House Photo by Joyce Boghosian)
And while Trump has publicly expressed a willingness to negotiate with Democrats, the president’s personnel decisions in the wake of the election suggest he is preparing to confront them rather than compromise.
Trump Prepares for a Fight
This outlet has already suggested that Trump is effectively preparing a “war cabinet” that’s ready to take on Iran and the Democrats simultaneously — and other analysts have recognized the same thing.
During a November 8 interview with NPR’s All Things Considered, White House correspondent Franco Ordoñez discussed the significance of Trump’s decision to replace Wiles with Miller, one of his longest-serving and most loyal advisers, and also one of the most hard-line Republicans on immigration.
Ordoñez told host Rob Schmitz that Wiles provided stability within an administration with so many competing personalities, and that replacing her with Miller will fundamentally change how the White House operates.
Many others have made that claim, too.
He also pointed to a speech that Miller delivered at Mar-a-Lago over the weekend, just before he became chief of staff.
In it, he pledged his personal loyalty to the president.
“It is the honor of my life to be President Trump’s chief of staff, and I swear to you, and I pledge to you, Mr. President, my absolute loyalty, my unwavering commitment, and my total devotion to your success and the success of this country,” he said.
The president then shared the video of the speech on social media.
The appointment suggests Trump is again prioritizing political loyalty over moderation — the latter of which appeared to be a key priority for Wiles, who was known for banning certain personalities from the president’s orbit.
Trump’s Search for a New Press Secretary Continues
While President Trump may be preparing to shuffle his cabinet, one glaringly obvious press secretary-sized hole remains in his team.
The president has been without a permanent press secretary since Karoline Leavitt departed in August, though he briefly allowed conservative commentator Katie Zacharia to assume the role.
After just five days and a disastrous first performance at the podium, the president let Zacharia go.
During a war with Iran and an incoming hostile Congress, the president still doesn’t have a permanent representative to communicate with the media.
Reports have noted that, in the wake of Leavitt’s resignation, the Trump administration has adopted an unusual approach to press briefings, in which government officials have been permitted to take turns answering journalists’ questions.
Leavitt has returned to MAGA Inc., the political action committee supporting President Trump, and continues to work as an outside political adviser to the president.
With the Democrats preparing investigations, the absence of a permanent press secretary presents a challenge for the president.
It could well be at the top of his list of priorities to solve — although, if the current setup works for the president, there’s no telling whether he may simply decide to allow his cabinet members to represent themselves in the media.
Who Else Might Trump Replace?
Although Trump suggested during his 60 Minutes interview that he was considering personnel changes, the discussion was actually recorded before Wiles’ departure was announced.
It is therefore unclear whether the president intends to replace anybody else — but it certainly doesn’t seem unlikely.
CBS News reported on November 4 that the president had been asking advisers whether Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth should remain in his position.
The same report also identified Florida Governor Ron DeSantis as a potential replacement.
However, Trump has since defended Hegseth and expressed confidence in his leadership — even as House Democrats and some Republicans prepare to vote to impeach him in the coming weeks.
Reports also revealed that some White House aides had expected Admiral Brad Cooper, the commander of U.S. Central Command, and General Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, to face criticism and potential action for their roles in the Iran War.
But President Trump has not publicly identified either man as vulnerable.
Some officials are leaving the administration of their own volition; however, The New Republic reported that White House Deputy Chief of Staff Richard Walters submitted his resignation on Friday, November 6.
Assistant Attorney General Brett Shumate also resigned on Monday, November 9.
The departures also follow the resignations of Justice Department officials Harmeet Dhillon, Jason Quiñones, and John Eisenberg last week.
The growing number of vacancies and the incoming Congress mean that Miller will inherit an administration undergoing considerable changes, and more could be on their way.
About the Author: Jack Buckby
Jack Buckby is a British researcher and analyst specializing in defense and national security, based in New York. His work focuses on military capability, procurement, and strategic competition, and he produces and edits analysis for policy and defense audiences. He brings extensive editorial experience, with a career output spanning over 1,000 articles at National Security Journal, and has previously authored books and papers on extremism and deradicalization.
