White House chief of staff Susie Wiles said Donald Trump’s second administration has “hit the ground running” in its first 100 days, emphasising her role in “keeping the trains on the tracks” to ensure smooth operations.
In her first interview since taking office, Wiles, who became the first female chief of staff just days after Trump’s 2024 election victory, reflected on her role in shaping the new administration. A seasoned Republican strategist, she was widely credited with leading Trump’s most disciplined and well-executed campaign.
“I see my job as just sort of keeping the trains on the tracks and running on time here, so that the subject-matter experts — and particularly the president and the vice president — can do what they need to do to fix the country,” Wiles said on My View with Lara Trump on Saturday.
She highlighted Trump’s preparedness, saying that he had “four years to consider his agenda” between his first and second terms.
Despite making history as the first woman to hold the role, Wiles downplayed the significance. “It doesn’t feel any different to me than anything else,” she said. “I don’t think I was the first woman to lead a Republican presidential campaign. I don’t think I was, and when the president asked me to be his chief of staff, I didn’t know that would be the case here. I just keep doing what I think is right. Keep working as hard as I can, and it’s working for me.”
When asked if she had any reservations about accepting the position, Wiles admitted, “No,” but added, “you wouldn’t be human if you didn’t have a little fear.”
Wiles has been involved in politics since the 1980s but largely avoided the spotlight. Her political career took off after she met Trump in 2015, and she described their working relationship as having a “good dynamic.”
“I’ve been with him long enough that we have a pretty good, easy thing going, but that doesn’t mean I don’t wake up every single day and be a little bit on edge to make sure I keep that up and do it right every day, because that’s what he deserves and that’s what the country deserves from us,” she said, quoted by Fox News. She also argued that Trump is a “better leader now” than during his first term.
With just over a month remaining in the first 100 days, Wiles outlined the administration’s key priorities.
“We’re very invested and involved in a trade conversation.”
She added that he is trying to settle a war, “these are heady, big things that are important not for now, but for the future. Rebuilding the American economy; getting all these criminals out of our country; peace in the world.”
Reflecting on the early days of the administration, she noted the shift from celebration to hard work. “The first month we were here, everybody was so thrilled to be here — euphoric about where we were and having won the election and having the president back. Now we’re into the time where it’s real work. It’s really long hours. It’s a slog to get his agenda accomplished.”
