President Donald Trump has chosen Stephen Miller to replace Susie Wiles as White House chief of staff. The move elevates a longtime adviser who has reportedly helped map out ways to pursue Trump’s agenda without new laws, as Democrats prepare to take control of Congress in January.
Since April, Miller, Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought and White House lawyers have been identifying executive actions Trump could take on issues including immigration, tariffs, housing costs and federal spending, according to people familiar with the work.
Democratic control of Congress is likely to make it harder for Trump to pass legislation and give lawmakers more room to investigate his administration. A White House official warned that the administration still holds federal power, even if Democrats pursue investigations and subpoenas.
Asked how he would advance his agenda under a Democratic Congress, Trump pointed to the Supreme Court’s June decision in Trump v. Slaughter. The ruling said he could remove former Federal Trade Commission Commissioner Rebecca Slaughter, despite a law limiting the president’s ability to fire FTC commissioners.
Trump has described the decision as a major expansion of presidential authority and said it would help shape his approach to governing through executive action. He has also said he could veto bills passed by Democrats until they are willing to negotiate, and has repeatedly called himself “Mr. Veto.”
White House spokeswoman Lauren Bis said Trump remains open to working with anyone to deliver results for Americans. She added that Democrats would be working against the public if they pursued what she called baseless investigations and left-wing policies.
Some House Republicans are uneasy about what Miller’s appointment may mean for the final two years of Trump’s presidency. One lawmaker said they had already been concerned about the administration relying more on executive action, and worried Trump might pursue populist policies with Democrats that were not conservative.
Another Republican said the administration would keep governing without Congress, as it had been doing. A Trump administration official, meanwhile, praised Miller’s selection, saying he had the trust of Americans who see reversing mass migration as an urgent priority.
Miller is set to take up the chief of staff role Monday. Wiles will move to Trump’s political operation.
