President-elect Donald Trump has said that Susan Summerall Wiles, who ran his campaign, will be his White House chief of staff when he opens the office next year.
That Wiles “just helped me achieve one of the greatest political victories in American history” and “is tough, smart, innovative, and is universally admired and respected” was what Trump said in a statement.
“It is a well-deserved honour to have Susie as the first-ever female chief of staff in United States history,” he added. “I do not doubt that she will make our country proud.”
Wiles, 67, is the first woman to be named White House chief of staff.
The Trump transition team is currently working to choose top members of the incoming Republican government, including the heads of all 15 executive departments, such as the secretaries of state and defence, from 20 January.
This week, Trump called Wiles “the ice maiden” while she stood behind him on stage in his winning speech.
She works mainly “in the back,” the president-elect said, but she is known as one of the most feared political operatives in the US.
He also said in his Thursday statement, “Susie will continue to work tirelessly to Make America Great Again,” which is his campaign slogan that he uses all the time.
What To Know About Susie Wiles?
In a story by Politico earlier this year, external described Susie Wiles as feared but little known.
Less than a year after Wiles started working in politics, she joined Ronald Reagan’s team ahead of his 1980 election.
She went on to play a crucial part in transforming politics in Florida, where she lives.
In 2010, she changed Rick Scott, a then-businessman with little political experience, into Florida’s governor in just seven months. Scott is now a US senator.
Wiles met Trump during the 2015 Republican presidential primary and became the co-chair of his Florida campaign. He went on to win the state over Hillary Clinton in 2016.
Florida Gov Ron DeSantis, who put her in charge of his successful gubernatorial race two years later, praised Wiles as “the best in the business”.
Wiles worked on the Trump campaign alongside Chris LaCivita, a veteran of Republican politics with decades of experience.
The two worked with Trump to formulate a winning presidential primary plan.
In her Politico profile, the 67-year-old grandmother – who is the daughter of late football player and journalist Pat Summerall – said that she comes from a “traditional” political background.
“In my early work, things like manners mattered, and there was an expected level of decorum,” she said, describing the Republican party as significantly different than the one of several decades ago.
“And so I get it that the GOP of today is different,” she said, referring to the Republican party, which is also called the Grand Old Party (GOP).
“There are changes we must live with in order to get done the things we’re trying to do.”
The chief of staff is considered to be the president’s top aide and plays a crucial part in every president’s administration.
They basically serve as the manager of the White House and are responsible for putting together a president’s staff. A chief leads the staff through the Executive Office of the President and handles all daily operations and staff activities.
They also advise presidents on policy problems and are responsible for directing and overseeing policy development.
