The job isn’t open but the replacement talk is already setting off alarms.
Former White House deputy press secretary Sarah Matthews says the prospect of Stephen Miller replacing Susie Wiles as President Trump’s chief of staff is “terrifying” — adding a sharp warning to speculation about who could run the West Wing after the midterms.
Trump has repeatedly rejected reports that Wiles is headed for the exit. But Matthews, who served during his first administration and later became a vocal critic, argued that the president’s public assurances aren’t the whole story.
“He’s been doing his favorite thing, which is calling around, seeing what people think of different names that he floats if he chooses to replace her,” Matthews told MeidasTouch’s Jack Cocchiarella on Sunday, according to The Hill.
“Publicly, he said that he’s sticking with Susie, but we know that he’s making these calls, and one of those names is Stephen Miller.”
“And that is a terrifying prospect,” she added.
One Name Sets Her Off
Matthews offered little praise for Wiles, accusing her of being “complicit in the horrors of this administration.” But she drew a distinction between the current chief of staff and Miller, Trump’s deputy chief of staff.
“Stephen Miller is bats— crazy,” she said.
Matthews warned that elevating Miller could have consequences during the final two years of Trump’s presidency.
“The idea of someone like a Stephen Miller in charge is a very scary thing,” she told Cocchiarella.
Her comments were a political assessment of a possible personnel change, rather than an announcement that one is coming. Matthews described having occasional interactions with Miller during briefing preparations with then-press secretary Kayleigh McEnany, according to The Hill.
Why the Exit Rumors Won’t Quit
The speculation gained momentum after Politico reported Oct. 15 that Trump had been asking friends and political allies about Wiles and discussing potential successors.
According to Mediaite’s account of the Politico reporting, four people with direct knowledge described those conversations. Names reportedly floated included Miller, New York Yankees president Randy Levine, special envoy Steve Witkoff, Bill Pulte and former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy. Trump disputed the report.
Another former Trump chief of staff, Mick Mulvaney, predicted a departure could come after the midterms — while offering a different explanation from Matthews.
“If she leaves, and I think she probably will, it’s not necessarily because she’s fallen out of favor with Trump,” Mulvaney told NewsNation’s The Hill Sunday.
“It’s just a natural sort of time to make that change.”
Mulvaney’s forecast suggested a possible voluntary transition, rather than a firing. It did not establish that Wiles has decided to leave. AOL
Trump Says ‘Zero Chance’
Trump’s public position has been emphatic.
In a statement quoted by The Hill, he branded Politico’s reporting “TOTAL FAKE NEWS” and said Wiles had his “COMPLETE confidence.”
He reinforced that message in an Oct. 16 conversation with CNN’s Kristen Holmes, saying there was “zero chance” he was considering replacing her.
“She’s been incredible,” Trump said, according to CNN’s report. He also said Wiles would remain at the White House for a long time.
Semafor reported that nearly a dozen people close to Trump questioned reports of tension. One adviser suggested people seeking Wiles’s position were helping fuel the speculation. The outlet also reported that Wiles had indicated she intended to stay until Trump leaves office.
A New Fight Over the Reporting
The controversy has since expanded into a confrontation between the White House and Politico.
White House counsel Will Scharf demanded corrections or retractions of three Wiles-related stories, according to Just the News. The administration accused the outlet of publishing false accounts of internal conflict.
Politico subsequently corrected a separate story about former press secretary Katie Zacharia’s Fox News interview. The correction said follow-up reporting found Wiles did not directly arrange the interview, Political Wire reported. That correction concerned the interview’s booking, rather than announcing a resolution of the replacement dispute.
For now, Wiles remains chief of staff, Trump says she has his confidence, and no successor has been announced. Matthews’s warning concerns what might happen next — with the midterms approaching and competing accounts of Wiles’s future still circulating.
Also draft a version more suited for White House Watch
Trump Backs Wiles as Chief of Staff Speculation Draws Warning From Former Aide
President Donald Trump is standing behind White House chief of staff Susie Wiles as reports about her future — and potential successors — draw competing assessments from former administration officials.
Sarah Matthews, a former deputy White House press secretary during Trump’s first term, said Sunday that the possibility of deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller taking over would be “terrifying.”
Her remarks came during an interview with MeidasTouch’s Jack Cocchiarella, according to The Hill, amid speculation that Wiles could depart after the November midterm elections. Trump has repeatedly denied that he is considering replacing her.
Matthews Questions Public Assurances
Matthews argued that Trump’s public support for Wiles could coexist with private discussions about other candidates.
“He’s been doing his favorite thing, which is calling around, seeing what people think of different names that he floats if he chooses to replace her,” Matthews said, according to The Hill.
“Publicly, he said that he’s sticking with Susie, but we know that he’s making these calls, and one of those names is Stephen Miller.”
Matthews, who has become a vocal Trump critic, described that possibility as “a terrifying prospect.” She said she occasionally interacted with Miller during briefing preparations with then-press secretary Kayleigh McEnany.
Her comments expressed opposition to a potential Miller appointment. They did not establish that Trump has decided to make a change.
Reports Put Spotlight on Post-Midterm Staffing
Politico reported Oct. 15 that Trump had been consulting friends and political allies about Wiles and discussing possible replacements.
According to Mediaite’s account of the reporting, the names floated included Miller, New York Yankees president Randy Levine, special envoy Steve Witkoff, Bill Pulte and former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy. Trump disputed the report.
Former acting chief of staff Mick Mulvaney offered a different interpretation of a possible departure: Wiles could choose to leave after the elections without losing the president’s confidence.
Speaking on NewsNation’s The Hill Sunday, Mulvaney predicted she would probably depart and described the post-election period as a natural opportunity for a staffing transition, according to The Hill’s report carried by AOL. His assessment was a prediction, rather than a confirmed departure plan.
Trump and Advisers Push Back
Trump has publicly rejected the suggestion that Wiles’s position is in jeopardy.
In a statement quoted by The Hill, he called the Politico reporting “TOTAL FAKE NEWS” and said his chief of staff had his “COMPLETE confidence.”
Trump subsequently told CNN’s Kristen Holmes on Oct. 16 that there was “zero chance” he was considering replacing Wiles. He praised her performance and said she would remain at the White House for a long time, according to CNN’s report.
Semafor also reported that nearly a dozen people close to Trump questioned accounts of tension. The outlet said Wiles had indicated she intended to remain in her position until the end of his presidency.
White House Challenges Coverage
The administration has also formally challenged Politico’s reporting. White House counsel Will Scharf demanded corrections or retractions of three Wiles-related stories, according to Just the News.
Politico subsequently corrected a separate report concerning former press secretary Katie Zacharia’s interview with Sean Hannity. Its correction said follow-up reporting found Wiles did not directly arrange that interview, Political Wire reported.
