Trump hints at more Cabinet firings after Susie Wiles ousted following midterm losses

In brief

• Trump removed chief of staff Susie Wiles and named Stephen Miller to the post after heavy Republican midterm losses.
• Trump said more Cabinet changes were likely but did not name anyone.
• In a CBS interview, Trump called his deportation policy "too tough" and said he was open to a deal on legal status for some undocumented workers.

Wiles out, Miller in

Trump announced on Friday that Susie Wiles was leaving her post as White House chief of staff, and that Stephen Miller would take her place (Trump hints at more Cabinet firings after Susie Wiles axed in wake of midterms blowout: Live updates – The Independent). Miller, who designed the mass deportation policy enacted earlier in the administration, is expected to bring the same hardline approach to the job (Trump tells 60 Minutes that deportation policy was ‘too tough’ – The Guardian).

More changes possible

In a sit-down interview after the midterms, Trump told CBS News that he "loved" his Cabinet but would likely make "maybe a few changes". He did not name anyone, even when correspondent Ross Douthat pressed him on Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who has been reported to be at risk.

Immigration policy reconsidered

In the same 60 Minutes interview, Trump said his deportation policy had been "too tough" and had hurt him politically (Trump says deportations were ‘too tough’ and hurt him during the midterms – NBCNews.com). He said the administration had removed people with steady jobs who had committed no crimes beyond entering the country illegally, and he suggested that workers such as those in landscaping or hotels should be allowed to stay. He said he was open to a deal with Democrats that could create legal status for some undocumented workers, while noting that hardliners in his own circle would oppose it.

Midterm fallout

The Financial Times reported that Trump conceded voters had been turned off by deportations, the war with Iran and what he called poor messaging on the economy (Trump says he was ‘too tough’ on immigrants as he floats amnesty deal – Financial Times). The Republican defeat has left party leaders questioning their direction and searching for people to blame, which is the backdrop to the personnel changes.