President Trump on Friday flatly rejected reports that he is weighing a replacement for White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles. Asked by reporters at the White House whether he was considering replacing her, Trump answered “Zero chance,” according to a post on X by NBC News correspondent Garrett Haake, and said any story to the contrary was “totally wrong.”
“Susie is here and she’s going to be here for a long time,” Trump said, according to Haake and Bloomberg’s Josh Wingrove, who also reported on X that the president called Wiles “phenomenal.” Trump also told CNN’s Kristen Holmes that “the Susie Wiles story was a fake story,” NBC Palm Springs reported.
Is he considering replacing Susie Wiles?
President Trump is emphatic: “Zero chance”
He says any story to the contrary is “totally wrong.”
“Susie is here and she’s going to be here for a long time.”
— Garrett Haake (@GarrettHaake) October 16, 2026
The comments were Trump’s second public defense of Wiles in two days. They came in response to a Politico Playbook report published Thursday, which said Trump had been soliciting allies’ views of Wiles and musing about possible replacements, citing four people with direct knowledge of the conversations. Politico also reported that rivals of Wiles and people who felt “burned” by her had been sharing unfavorable coverage of her and her family with the president.
The White House answered that report with a statement from the president himself. “TOTAL FAKE NEWS Politico doesn’t care about facts, integrity, or honest journalism — it’s why I kicked them out of the White House!” Trump said, according to The Hill. “Susie Wiles is my loyal and longest serving Chief of Staff — there is a reason for that. She has been with me since the beginning, is my trusted advisor, and has my COMPLETE confidence.”
Wiles is widely regarded as one of Trump’s most trusted advisers. According to The Hill, she played a major role in shaping his second administration and served as co-manager of his winning 2024 campaign. NBC Palm Springs noted that she became the first woman to serve as White House chief of staff.
Trump also pointed to Wiles’ health on Friday. NBC Palm Springs reported that he referenced her recent breast cancer treatment and called her “incredible,” smart and tough. Wiles told Trump about her early-stage diagnosis in March and chose to keep working while undergoing treatment, according to that report, and she announced last month that she was cancer-free.
The Politico report landed during a turbulent week for White House staffing. Breaking The News reported that the story came amid scrutiny of other presidential appointees, including newly named Press Secretary Katie Zacharia, who drew criticism after her first briefing.
For now, the president’s message is unambiguous. With the November midterms weeks away, Trump has twice put his own name behind his chief of staff, first in a signed statement and then on camera, saying Wiles is staying put.
Sources cited
- https://x.com/josh_wingrove/status/2111142563277328688
- https://www.nbcpalmsprings.com/ca-us-and-world/2026/10/16/trump-says-zero-chance-he-will-replace-chief-of-staff-susie-wiles
- https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/6150913-susie-wiles-trump-white-house/
- https://www.politico.com/newsletters/playbook/2026/10/15/trumps-ice-maiden-is-under-fire-01119850
- https://www.breakingthenews.net/Article/Trump-voices-‘complete-confidence’-in-Wiles/67304957
Sources
- Original post: Garrett Haake (@GarrettHaake) on X, Oct 16, 2026
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