Memo outlines new White House structure under Stephen Miller

A memo circulated within the Trump administration this week lays out changes to the White House hierarchy under new chief of staff Stephen Miller. It says Cabinet secretaries will have greater control over communications from their departments.

The change marks a departure from the approach under former chief of staff Susie Wiles, whom administration insiders say had broad oversight of communications during much of President Donald Trump’s second term.

The memo, sent by Miller’s office after he took over on Monday, describes the changes as administrative and personnel matters. A source familiar with it said the new arrangement is intended to make the Cabinet more effective by giving it room to operate.

Under the plan, the Cabinet Secretary position will become Director of Cabinet Relations. The role is meant to support Cabinet members, while department leaders will be expected to speak for their own agencies, the memo says.

A person familiar with the administration’s day-to-day operations said the change appears to give agencies more say over their messaging. The source described the previous system as highly centralized, with detailed instructions coming from Wiles’ team.

The person said the new approach makes clear that Cabinet officials are expected to lead their own departments. They also argued that a large organization cannot be managed effectively through close oversight of every decision, and that officials closer to specific issues may be better placed to address them.

A former administration official offered a harsher assessment of Wiles’ management style, saying she sought extensive control. The official alleged that pressure came through warnings about potential consequences in the media, and said Cabinet secretaries had been told they could be blamed for Republican losses in the midterm elections if they strayed from approved messaging.

The memo also describes other organizational changes. The director of presidential scheduling and the Office of Presidential Scheduling will report to Chamberlain Harris, deputy director of outer oval operations.

It also confirms that Caleb Orr, previously the assistant secretary of state for economic and business affairs, will serve as chief of staff for policy.

The memo says the White House will establish a regular policy process led by the deputy chief of staff for policy and the national security adviser, with responsibilities defined to avoid overlapping portfolios.