President Donald Trump hinted that further changes could be coming to his inner circle after removing Chief of Staff Susie Wiles on Friday.
Trump, 80, spoke with 60 Minutes just hours before announcing Wiles’ departure and naming Stephen Miller as her replacement.
“I do,” the Republican president replied when journalist Ross Douthat asked whether he expected to dismiss anyone following his party’s heavy losses in Tuesday’s midterm elections.
Democrats captured both chambers of Congress and flipped deep-red Texas, electing Gina Hinojosa as governor and James Talarico to the Senate.
“I love my Cabinet, I think they’re good,” Trump said. “But I’ll be making maybe a few changes. I don’t want to mention who.”
Douthat then asked whether controversial Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth could be among those facing removal. Trump appeared to indicate that Hegseth was safe for the time being.
“I do,” Trump said when asked whether he still had confidence in Hegseth.
“Look, we’ve won two wars. We’ve won Venezuela and taken out billions and billions and billions of dollars already, and we will be taking out many billions of dollars… We won that war in less than one hour.”
President Donald Trump, 80, hinted that more members of his inner circle could be fired just hours before he dismissed Susie Wiles
Trump announced Wiles’ departure on Friday. Sources told CNN’s Kaitlan Collins that the rest of the Cabinet is operating in a “knives out” environment
Sources told CNN’s Kaitlan Collins that tensions have intensified across the rest of Trump’s Cabinet, creating what one description characterized as a “knives out” atmosphere.
“It’s hard to overstate just how factionalized that environment has become in the last several days alone,” Collins said.
Aides who spoke with her described a workplace marked by tension and infighting, comparing it with the bitter internal battles of Trump’s first term.
According to Collins’ sources, Wiles’ exit “will only accelerate the shift in the balance of power that is underway right now.”
CNN’s sources said Trump has privately blamed Wiles for the Republican Party’s poor performance in the midterm elections.
Trump, however, told reporters on Friday that her removal was “not because of the election.”
Wiles was replaced by longtime aide Stephen Miller, who was seen boarding Air Force One alongside Trump.
“I am pleased to announce that Mr. Stephen Miller, the current Deputy Chief of Staff of the Trump Administration, and one of my most trusted advisors, will become the Chief of Staff starting Monday, November 9, 2026,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
Trump appeared to suggest that controversial Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth was safe for now
Wiles joins the list of Cabinet officials Trump has ousted, including former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and former Attorney General Pam Bondi
“Susie Wiles, who has done an outstanding job, will be moving over to the Trump Political Operation. I want to thank her for her service as Chief of Staff — she has done a great job!”
The scale of the Democrats’ victory earlier this week could keep Republicans from regaining a congressional majority for much of the next decade. That prospect is a particularly difficult one for conservatives who have urged Trump to overhaul his team.
Although the sudden announcement came as a surprise, Our News Outlet reported in June that Wiles had been quietly preparing an exit plan for after the midterm elections. The White House denied the report at the time.
Asked about the shake-up Friday afternoon, Trump told reporters: “I wanted to make a change. I think Susie’s done a very good job, a great job, but… we gotta make moves. Sometimes in life, you have to make moves.”
That account conflicts with the version provided by a senior White House official, who told Our News Outlet that Wiles “gave her resignation last night.”
While Trump has publicly said he decided a change was necessary, the official described the departure as Wiles’ choice, leaving competing explanations for her exit.
Wiles joins the list of Cabinet officials Trump has removed, including former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and former Attorney General Pam Bondi.
Our News Outlet has contacted the White House for comment.
Trump’s 60 Minutes interview is scheduled to air Sunday at 7 p.m. on CBS.
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