Susie Wiles

Susie Wiles
Wiles in 2025
Susie Wiles
Born	Susan L. Summerall 14 5, 1957
Nationality	American
Occupation	Political consultant, lobbyist, government official
Known for	First woman to serve as White House Chief of Staff
Education	University of Maryland, College Park (BA, 1978)

Susan L. Wiles (née Summerall; born May 14, 1957) is an American political consultant, lobbyist, and government official who has served as the 32nd White House Chief of Staff since January 2025. A fixture of Republican politics for more than four decades, Wiles built her career through a succession of campaign management roles, lobbying positions, and municipal government posts, primarily in Florida and Washington, D.C. Her appointment as chief of staff to President Donald Trump made her the first woman to hold the position in the history of the United States. Wiles's path to the highest staff position in the White House wound through early work on Ronald Reagan's 1980 presidential campaign, years of managing congressional and gubernatorial races in Florida, and two stints managing Trump's political operations — first as his Florida campaign leader in 2016 and then as his national campaign co-manager for the 2024 presidential election.

Early Life

Susan L. Summerall was born on May 14, 1957. Details of her early childhood and family background prior to her university years have not been extensively documented in public sources. She grew up during a period of significant political transformation in the United States, and her interest in Republican politics developed at a young age. While still attending college, Wiles began working for Jack Kemp, then a U.S. Representative from New York, gaining her first exposure to the practical mechanics of congressional politics and constituent services.

This early immersion in political work during her university years set the trajectory for Wiles's subsequent career. Her association with Kemp, a prominent figure in the Republican Party who championed supply-side economics and later served as the party's vice-presidential nominee in 1996, connected her to a network of conservative operatives and officeholders that would prove instrumental throughout her professional life.

Education

Wiles attended the University of Maryland, College Park, graduating in 1978. It was during her time at the university that she began her career in Republican politics through her work with Representative Jack Kemp's office.

Career

Early Political Career and Reagan Administration

Following her graduation and her work with Jack Kemp, Wiles joined Ronald Reagan's 1980 presidential campaign, where she worked in the scheduling office. After Reagan's election, she continued in government service, working in the White House Office of Scheduling and Advance. She also served in the office of Raymond J. Donovan, Reagan's Secretary of Labor. These positions provided Wiles with direct experience in White House operations, campaign logistics, and executive branch administration — skills that would define the remainder of her career.

Florida Political Operations

Wiles's career became closely associated with Jacksonville and Florida politics beginning in the early 1990s. She served as the district director for Tillie Fowler's 1992 campaign to represent Florida's 4th congressional district. Fowler won the race and went on to serve four terms in Congress.

Wiles subsequently worked within the administration of Jacksonville Mayor John Delaney, rising to the position of chief of staff, a role she held from 1997 to 2000. Her tenure in city government gave her experience in municipal administration and deepened her connections within the Jacksonville political establishment. She later served in the administration of Mayor John Peyton, further cementing her status as a central figure in the city's Republican political infrastructure.

2010 Florida Gubernatorial Election and Rick Scott

In 2010, Wiles took on the role of campaign manager for Rick Scott's campaign in the 2010 Florida gubernatorial election. Scott, a businessman making his first bid for public office, faced a competitive Republican primary before winning the general election. The campaign was a significant marker in Wiles's career, establishing her reputation as a manager capable of guiding outsider candidates through the complexities of statewide races in one of the nation's largest and most politically diverse states.

Jon Huntsman Presidential Campaign

Following Scott's victory, Wiles was hired as campaign manager for Jon Huntsman Jr.'s 2012 presidential campaign. However, her tenure was brief. In July 2011, Wiles resigned from the Huntsman campaign after less than a month, amid a dispute with senior adviser John Weaver. The episode was a rare public setback in Wiles's career, but it did not diminish her standing among Republican operatives in Florida, where she continued to be sought after as a strategist and campaign manager.

Donald Trump's 2016 Presidential Campaign

In October 2015, Wiles was hired as the Florida campaign chairwoman for Donald Trump's 2016 presidential campaign. In May 2016, she played a role in organizing the Florida Republican Party's meeting in Tampa to urge party unity behind Trump as he secured the nomination.

By September 2016, Wiles had been elevated to the position of Trump's campaign manager for Florida, reflecting the critical importance of the state to Trump's electoral strategy. Florida, with its large number of electoral votes and status as a perennial swing state, was considered essential to any Republican path to the White House. Wiles was responsible for organizing the ground operation across the state.

Trump won Florida in the 2016 election, a result that was central to his overall Electoral College victory. Wiles's management of the Florida campaign earned her recognition within the Trump orbit and solidified her reputation as one of the most effective Republican operatives in the state.

Lobbying Career at Ballard Partners

After Trump's victory in the 2016 presidential election, Wiles moved to Washington, D.C., where she helped establish the D.C. office of Ballard Partners, a Florida-based lobbying firm led by Brian Ballard. The firm capitalized on its close ties to the Trump administration and quickly became one of the most prominent lobbying operations in Washington. Wiles's role at Ballard Partners represented a transition from campaign politics to the lobbying industry, though she maintained her connections to Republican political networks throughout this period.

Wiles later departed Ballard Partners, citing a health issue.

Ron DeSantis's 2018 Gubernatorial Campaign

In September 2018, Wiles was hired to lead Ron DeSantis's campaign for the 2018 Florida gubernatorial election. DeSantis, who had received Trump's endorsement in the Republican primary, won a narrow general election victory over Democrat Andrew Gillum. Wiles's involvement in the DeSantis campaign further demonstrated her ability to manage high-stakes statewide races in Florida.

However, Wiles's relationship with DeSantis later deteriorated. In September 2019, the Trump campaign cut ties with Wiles over a dispute related to DeSantis's political orbit, though the circumstances were complex and involved broader factional dynamics within Florida Republican politics. The split was later resolved when Wiles was brought back into Trump's political operation.

Managing Trump's Post-Presidency and 2024 Campaign

In 2021, Wiles was appointed to lead Trump's fundraising apparatus, including the Save America political action committee, following his departure from the White House. She assumed a dominant role in managing Trump's political activities during the period between his first and second presidencies, overseeing his travel schedule, fundraising operations, and endorsements in the 2022 midterm elections. Her control over Trump's endorsement process was notable; she played a key role in determining which Republican candidates received Trump's support in primary races across the country.

Wiles also played a role in Republican National Committee politics during this period. In January 2023, she was involved in the dynamics surrounding Ronna McDaniel's race for the RNC chairmanship.

After Trump announced his 2024 presidential campaign in November 2022, Wiles was named as his campaign co-manager alongside Chris LaCivita. The Wiles-LaCivita partnership was credited with bringing a greater degree of organizational discipline to Trump's campaign operations compared to his previous runs. Wiles's influence extended across virtually all aspects of the campaign, from strategic planning to personnel decisions.

During the 2024 campaign, Wiles faced the challenge of navigating the Republican primary, in which DeSantis — her former client — emerged as Trump's most prominent rival for the nomination before eventually dropping out. The dynamic underscored Wiles's complex position within Florida Republican politics and her ultimate alignment with Trump's political interests over other relationships.

Trump won the 2024 presidential election, and in the transition period that followed, President-elect Trump announced that Wiles would serve as his White House Chief of Staff.

White House Chief of Staff

Wiles assumed the role of White House Chief of Staff in January 2025, becoming the first woman to hold the position. Her appointment was seen as a reflection of the trust Trump placed in her after she managed his successful 2024 campaign.

In her role as chief of staff, Wiles oversaw White House operations during a period marked by significant policy initiatives and personnel changes. According to an NPR report from January 2026, the first year of Trump's second term saw less personnel drama than his first term but still experienced high rates of staff turnover.

Wiles also played a role in managing the relationship between the White House and Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) initiative. According to Politico, Wiles was involved in discussions about limiting Musk's work scope within the administration.

In December 2025, Wiles gave a series of interviews to Vanity Fair that attracted significant media attention. In the interviews, she discussed a range of topics including Musk's DOGE initiative, the FBI, and other aspects of the administration's first year. CNN reported that Wiles delivered "unusually candid and at times unflattering assessments" of the president in the interviews, noting that she said Trump "has an alcoholic's personality." In the same interviews, Wiles criticized Attorney General Pam Bondi's handling of the Jeffrey Epstein case files.

The Wall Street Journal editorial board questioned Wiles's judgment in granting the interviews, publishing an opinion piece titled "What Was Susie Wiles Thinking?" A subsequent New York Times opinion piece in February 2026 discussed the significance of the eleven interviews Wiles conducted, exploring the motivations behind her decision to speak so openly.

In February 2026, Wiles was subpoenaed to testify as a witness in a federal foreign lobbying criminal case. The case involved former Miami-Dade Congressman David Rivera and political consultant Esther Nuhfer, who faced charges of being unregistered foreign agents. Wiles was called as a witness rather than a defendant in the proceedings. A federal judge subsequently denied the defense's bid to have Wiles testify at the Rivera trial.

Personal Life

Wiles's personal life has been largely kept out of the public spotlight throughout her career. She has been based primarily in the Jacksonville, Florida, area for much of her professional life, with periods of residence in Washington, D.C., during her work in the Reagan administration and at Ballard Partners. At one point she departed Ballard Partners citing a health issue, though specific details were not publicly disclosed.

Wiles has been noted for maintaining a low public profile relative to her level of political influence. During the 2024 campaign and the early months of her tenure as chief of staff, she was known for operating largely behind the scenes, avoiding the public attention that had characterized some of her predecessors in the chief of staff role. Her December 2025 interviews with Vanity Fair represented a notable departure from this pattern.

Recognition

Wiles's appointment as the first woman to serve as White House Chief of Staff was widely noted as a historic milestone upon its announcement following the 2024 presidential election. The position of chief of staff, established in its modern form during the Eisenhower administration, had been held by 31 men before Wiles's appointment.

Her career has been the subject of multiple in-depth profiles in national publications. Politico published a detailed profile of Wiles in April 2024 that examined her trajectory through Florida Republican politics and her role in managing the rivalry between Trump and DeSantis. The New York Times published profiles examining her influence over Trump's political operations and her management of his post-presidential activities.

Within Republican political circles, Wiles has been recognized as one of the most consequential operatives in Florida's modern political history, having managed or played senior roles in multiple successful gubernatorial and presidential campaigns in the state over a span of more than two decades.

Legacy

As the first woman to serve as White House Chief of Staff, Wiles's appointment in January 2025 marked a significant moment in the history of the American presidency and of women in government. The position, often described as the most powerful unelected role in the federal government, had been exclusively held by men since its formalization in the mid-twentieth century.

Wiles's career also reflects the evolution of political consulting and campaign management in American politics. Her path from congressional staffer to campaign manager to lobbyist to White House chief of staff illustrates the interconnected nature of these roles within the modern political system. Her particular strength in Florida — a state that has served as one of the most important battlegrounds in American presidential politics — positioned her as a figure of outsized influence in Republican electoral strategy over the course of several election cycles.

Her management of Trump's 2024 campaign, alongside Chris LaCivita, was noted for its relative organizational discipline compared to Trump's prior campaigns. The campaign's success in winning the general election cemented Wiles's reputation and led directly to her historic appointment as chief of staff.

The December 2025 Vanity Fair interviews added a complex dimension to Wiles's tenure, generating debate about the role of the chief of staff in shaping public narratives about the president and the internal dynamics of the White House.