President Donald Trump named Stephen Miller his new White House chief of staff, calling him one of his “most trusted advisors” on Friday. 

Miller will ascend to the role on Monday, officially replacing Susie Wiles, who Trump said will be moving to his political operation.

“I want to thank her for her service as Chief of Staff — She has done a great job!” Trump wrote.

Moments after Trump’s announcement, Wiles issued a statement of her own. 

“Today is my last day as White House Chief of Staff,” Wiles said.

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“Serving President Trump in the White House has been the honor of a lifetime. I’m so proud to have been a part of what we’ve accomplished together from securing our border and cutting taxes to strengthening our economy and putting America First,” she added. “More than anything, I’m grateful for the extraordinary people I’ve had the privilege of working alongside. While my role may be changing, my commitment to the President and the mission never will.”

Trump told reporters Friday, before departing on Marine One. that Wiles did a “great job.” 

“I think [she’s] done a very good job. Great job. But I just wanted to make this even been great.  We got to make. We’ve got to make those. So sometimes in life, we have to make [moves],” said Trump.

In March, Wiles announced she had been diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer upon early detection and received a strong prognosis. Six months later, in September, she shared that she was cancer free.

“With grit, determination, faith and the support of extraordinary people, it is possible to fight this disease while continuing to embrace the work, relationships and sense of purpose that make you who you are,” Wile wrote in a USA Today op-ed in September. “For me, that means serving my president and my country. I will always be grateful to President Donald Trump for the kindness and compassion while I was undergoing treatment.”

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The Friday announcement came after Republicans lost control of both the House and Senate in the midterm elections, dealing a major blow to President Donald Trump after the war with Iran and persistent affordability concerns loomed large over elections, as voters weighed the economic toll of the conflict.

A White House official told Fox News Digital the decision was “very amicable” and Wiles handed her resignation on Thursday night. 

“A great pick. He has the trust of millions of Americans who understand that reversing mass migration is the crisis of our time,” an administration official told Fox News Digital.

Wiles worked on Trump’s 2016 and 2020 campaigns, making history as the first woman to serve as chief of staff. She is a longtime Trump ally, first throwing her support behind him in 2015 when she became the Trump campaign’s co-chairwoman in Florida.

“As a card-carrying member of the G.O.P. establishment, many thought my full-throated endorsement of the Trump candidacy was ill-advised — even crazy,” Wiles told the New York Times in a rare public statement back in 2016.

Wiles has served in her role for 21 months, making her Trump’s longest-serving chief of staff across both of his terms. Trump cycled through four chiefs of staff during his first term, with John Kelly serving the longest—about 17 months.

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She has been dubbed the “Ice Maiden” by Trump, which he noted in his 2024 victory speech, for her hard-nosed approach to handling business.

Wiles was seen as Trump’s behind-the-scenes enforcer, sitting in on high-level meetings and standing by his side at events, while Wiles rarely spoke directly to the public.

Current and former Trump administration officials posted on social media to thank Wiles and congratulate Miller.

“Very grateful to Susie for her friendship and service to the president and our country. Stephen Miller is an amazing patriot and will do great things. Congrats to him on a well deserved promotion,” wrote Vice President Vance.

“Stephen Miller is a Trump OG, someone who has been with the President since the very beginning. There is no bigger advocate for the Trump agenda than Stephen, and he will help the Administration deliver on monumental victories for the rest of this historic second term,” wrote White House communication director Steven Cheung.

“A huge thank you to Susie Wiles for her incredible service to our nation! She’s a rockstar and will no doubt continue working to make our country great. Looking forward to continuing our work with my good friend Stephen Miller as Chief. Together we’ve reduced crime to historic levels, enhanced public safety throughout our communities, and continue to root out the massive fraud that has taken advantage of American taxpayers. We’re not slowing down,” wrote Attorney General Todd Blanche.

Wiles played a central role in engineering Trump’s return to the White House, earning a reputation as one of his most trusted political strategists. But her transition from campaign mastermind to White House chief of staff has also brought its share of challenges, with a few high-profile controversies drawing scrutiny during her tenure.

Wiles faced scrutiny during her tenure over several controversies, including her involvement in a Signal group chat in which Secretary of War Pete Hegseth shared sensitive details about impending U.S. military strikes against Houthi militants in Yemen. The chat inadvertently included the editor-in-chief of The Atlantic, who later exposed the discussions. The administration denied that classified information had been shared.

Wiles also drew attention in December 2025 after Vanity Fair published a series of candid interviews in which she offered blunt assessments of Trump and senior administration officials.

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Several prominent Democrats who ran on an “affordability” message were largely silent when pressed by Fox News Digital on their sudden pivot to foreshadowing investigations into the Trump administration, including in many cases its immigration enforcement efforts.

Rep. Robert Garcia, D-Calif., who is poised to lead the House Oversight Committee, responded to Democrats’ win Tuesday with a statement: “Lawyer Up”, despite having pledged to prioritize household costs alongside government accountability.

Garcia told CNN before the election that “Democratic priorities” would be lowering the cost of “gas, groceries, the mortgage, the rent,” alongside combating government corruption.

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In response to a request for comment, a representative for Garcia shared a tweet he posted Wednesday, after his Tuesday “lawyer up” warning, that referenced affordability:

“People can’t afford gas, groceries, and rent because Donald Trump and his family are ripping off the American people and enriching themselves. Taking on corruption is about making life more affordable for working families,” Garcia said in the tweet.

Before the election, “Squad” Rep. Delia Ramirez, D-Ill., wrote in a PBS-Chicago voters guide that there is “no question that the rising cost of living is the number one issue” for a “working people’s agenda.”

After the election, however, her tone appeared to change:

“Noem, Markwayne, Miller, Homan, Bovino, what’s up? Clear your schedule,” Ramirez said.

Several respondents pushed back, including one of her stated targets, former Border Patrol Cmdr. Gregory Bovino.

“Honey, slow your totalitarian roll,” Bovino responded on X. “Citizens don’t answer to communists in this country as much as you seem to believe that.”

Bovino went on to suggest Ramirez instead relax with a bottle of whiskey from a brand the former immigration official launched upon retirement.

Other respondents also pointed out that Ramirez’ post-election missive didn’t mention her affordability priority:

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“Notice nothing about how she is going to help her constituents but ‘get Trump’,” said one.

“So, you guys never really gave a s— about affordability,” added former Energy Department staffer Matt van Swol.

Rep. Analilia Mejia, D-N.J., who now represents the longtime Republican-held seat of former Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen, made both affordability and immigration policy part of her campaign message.

“We’re going to toss out subpoenas like Mardi Gras beads,” Mejia’s first X post Wednesday read.

Rep. Tony Wied, R-Wis., responded it showed Democrats “have no plans to make life better for you,” eliciting a response from Mejia in which she dubbed him “Mr. Weird” and only then mentioned an “economy that works for” Americans.

In April, Rep. Yassamin Ansari, D-Ariz., released a lengthy statement announcing a “New Affordability Agenda” and highlighting her role on the Congressional Progressive Caucus’ “Lowering Costs Task Force.”

On Election Night, Ansari posted: “Thank you Mr. President. Our thank-you will come in January with subpoenas.” An ensuing tweet called for the impeachment of War Secretary Pete Hegseth.

On Wednesday, Ansari ultimately posted a policy-related pledge to curtail AI.

Sen. Edward Markey, D-Mass., stated during the midterms that his priorities were “groceries, gas prices energy costs” and the like.

However, his post-election missive remarking on how many “new forests” will need planting for “all of the subpoenas we’ll be printing,” instead signaled a priority to investigate tech executives like Elon Musk.

“Affordability,” quipped former Virginia Del. Nick Freitas, R-Culpeper, in a reply.

Ramirez, Mejia, Markey and Ansari did not respond to requests for comment on their apparent pivots. Garcia’s representative responded by providing his subsequent post on affordability. Both Garcia and Ramirez had previously identified government accountability and immigration oversight, respectively, as priorities, but their immediate post-election statements emphasized investigations rather than the affordability measures they had highlighted on the campaign trail.

DHS appeared to take the newfound priority in stride in comments to Fox News Digital.

“It is unfortunate that Democrats are more interested in political shenanigans than in governing,” said DHS’ top attorney James Percival.

“Rest assured, however, that we are well prepared to deal with this nonsense so Secretary Mullin can continue focusing on protecting the homeland,” the counsel said.

A Justice Department spokesperson echoed Percival, saying the agency is “not afraid of threats from Democrats” and assured its staff has followed the law.

“It is no surprise that rather than focus on bringing down costs for Americans, Democrats in Congress are picking up where their weaponization efforts left off when they were last in power,” the spokesperson said.

Meanwhile, the White House told Fox News Digital that Trump remains willing to work with Democrats on issues they can collaborate on to help “hardworking Americans.”

“If Democrats choose to pursue sham investigations and radical-left policies, they are choosing to work against the American people,” spokeswoman Lauren Bis said.

Immigration hawks signaled preparations for what Democrats foreshadowed.

The Mass Deportation Coalition, whose leaders have been critical of Biden-era open-border policies and have asserted that the Trump administration has not done enough on the issue in some areas, told Fox News Digital they are prepared to defend officials amid the onslaught.

“We know what’s coming,” said Mass Deportation Coalition leader Mike Howell. “A lot of people are going to be cashing-out and charging patriots expensive legal fees to the most vulnerable.”

“We have been through this before and are ready to sacrifice for the patriots who are targeted by weaponized harassment.”

Former House Oversight Committee counsel and immigration judge Andrew Arthur said Congress has the prerogative to investigate DHS’ work but added that it may not be what Americans are looking for as a priority.

Citing Ramirez’ mention of Border Czar Tom Homan, Arthur noted that the onetime Obama official long held “positive” ratings from Republicans and Democrats.

“He was commonly viewed as the guy who came in and cleaned things up after Noem left, got things a little bit better. So that’s probably not going to be a terribly popular thing,” he said.

“This isn’t really affordability but anything that shows waste in government technically goes to affordability and it all depends on how willing the media is to accept that talking point,” said Arthur, now at the Center for Immigration Studies.

Arthur said DHS can largely proceed as usual with its previously established funding while any investigations take place, adding that much of what Mullin and Trump have done already falls under established law that Congress itself passed.

Referencing the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952, Arthur said that, short of “amending the law itself – which they can’t do if [Trump] vetoes it” Democrats can probe and try to paint the agency in a “bad light” over ICE-involved shootings and similar incidents, but that their larger agenda would be buttressed by the INA.

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A 2026 whitepaper by Federal Reserve Bank researchers found elevated “unauthorized” immigration contributed to rising housing costs between 2021 and 2024, estimating that the influx increased home prices by 6.6% and rents by 4.3% in the average metropolitan area.

The researchers attributed the increases to additional housing demand that was not matched by sufficient new construction, lending indirect empirical support to arguments that illegal immigration can have adverse effects on key affordability metrics.

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The Democratic mayor of America’s fourth-largest city is reversing course on cooperation with federal immigration authorities despite an executive order from defeated Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott that threatened the loss of millions in state funding for noncompliance.

The Lone Star State swung blue for the first time since its new senator-elect, James Talarico, was born, and Houston Mayor John Whitmire wasted no time Friday announcing new restrictions on cooperation with ICE.

Whitmire told The New York Times that city police are not permitted to notify ICE if they encounter an illegal immigrant in “nonviolent contacts” like traffic stops or minor offenses.

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“If they’re charged with a new crime, we’ll let ICE know as we get them to the jailhouse,” he told the paper Friday.

Abbott lost his bid for a fourth term Tuesday, and Talarico flipped one of the state’s Senate seats blue for the first time since Clinton Treasury Secretary Lloyd Bentsen won his final re-election bid in 1988 — seven months before the current senator-elect was born.

Texas’ most recent Democratic governor, Ann Richards, the mother of former longtime Planned Parenthood president Cecile Richards, was elected shortly thereafter in 1990.

Whitmire did not respond to a request for comment but signaled to the Times that he made the decision at least in part because Abbott’s order requiring DHS contact caused “anxiety” among Houstonians.

In a statement put out Friday afternoon, Whitmire said, “I have signed an executive order directing HPD to no longer contact ICE for nonviolent offenses, helping reduce fear in our communities. Thank you to Chief Diaz, our state and local leaders for their collaboration. A step toward building a stronger Houston. Let’s Go to Work.”

He also acknowledged Gov.-elect Gina Hinojosa won’t take office until January but characterized his decision as “responsible” and “more effective policy.”

A DHS spokesperson responded to Whitmire’s move in comments to Fox News Digital.

“We remain disappointed that sanctuary politicians seek to limit cooperation with ICE, as our law enforcement are simply fulfilling their sworn duties to serve and protect our communities,” the spokesperson said.

“Partnerships with law enforcement are critical to having the resources we need to arrest criminal illegal aliens across the country. Seven of the top 10 safest cities in the United States cooperate with ICE. When politicians bar local law enforcement from working with DHS, our law enforcement officers have a more visible presence so that we can find and apprehend the criminals let out of jails and back into communities.

The spokesperson pointed to some recent criminal illegal aliens captured by ICE in Houston – including Alexander Montano of Cuba, convicted of willful homicide, burglary and forced entry into a residence.

Vietnamese national Ding Nguyen, also convicted of homicide, along with Guatemalan national Julio Camey, convicted of sex offense against a child, were also mentioned by the spokesperson.

“You write a citation or you warn them, and they go about their way. No contact with [ICE] over nonviolent, non-jailable offenses,” Whitmire told the AP.

A previous policy enacted in March by Whitmire and Police Chief Noe Diaz stipulated that if a background check revealed an immigration-related warrant, a sergeant would be called to oversee ICE involvement, according to Houston’s FOX affiliate.

The policy also said that if ICE could not make it to the stop within half an hour, the subject would be released.

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The Houston City Council subsequently approved an ordinance in April limiting how long officers could detain individuals while awaiting ICE agents, but Whitmire backed revisions after Abbott threatened to withhold more than $100 million in state funding and then-Attorney General Ken Paxton launched an investigation into the city’s immigration policies.

The revised policy restored greater discretion for officers to contact ICE and wait for federal agents during encounters involving civil immigration warrants. Whitmire’s latest announcement would instead limit such notifications to encounters involving jailable offenses, marking a return to the restrictions city lawmakers initially sought.

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Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., a key ally of Israel in Congress, announced plans on Thursday to reject all corporate PAC money or funding from special interest groups tied to “foreign policy” after narrowly hanging on to her seat in the midterm elections.

“I still am on [the committee on] foreign affairs and I’ve taken a particular interest in peace deals as well as supporting the administration’s peace deal efforts. And I want my constituency to understand when I’m either talking on these things or advocating for them in Washington, that I am controlled by no one, influenced by no one,” Luna said in a video posted to X.

Luna’s announcement comes on the heels of devastating midterm results for Republicans that have sparked debate about the role of pro-Israel political spending and U.S. policy toward Israel in several Democratic campaigns.

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Luna herself only narrowly beat out Democratic challenger Leela Gray, a veteran, in a 49.5% to 48.7% victory in Florida’s 13th Congressional District — a seat that has leaned safely Republican in years past.

Many Democrats, including Luna’s opponent, used the Iran conflict as a proxy to attack Republicans on the cost of living after the conflict sharply restricted fuel exports from the Middle East.

“In February, we were told this war would last ‘four to six weeks.’ Eight months later, at least 22 service members are dead, 800+ more are injured and the cost of living crisis at home is out of control,” Gray said in a post to X a week before the election.

“Despite the obvious and disastrous consequences of the war, Luna voted to continue it six times,” Gray added, referring to Luna’s opposition to restricting Trump’s war powers.

But those criticisms also spread far beyond Florida’s 13th Congressional District.

Michigan Democratic senator-elect Abdul El-Sayed made the issue one of the cornerstones of his campaign, explicitly questioning Israel’s influence over the Republican Party and its role in the Iran conflict.

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“I don’t consider an ally a country that takes us to wars we don’t need to fight, and I don’t want to be fighting wars we don’t need to fight,” El-Sayed said in a debate ahead of the election.

El-Sayed’s position on Israel coincided with many other progressive candidates who also opposed U.S. support for Israel — a key policy difference that created Democrat-on-Democrat tension in several key races.

In New York, for instance, several political newcomers like Brad Lander, Darializa Avila-Chevalier and Claire Valdez all defeated Israel-aligned Democratic opponents in their primaries.

In Colorado, progressive challenger Melat Kiros unseated an incumbent who had served 30 years in office while advocating for a full arms embargo against Israel.

And in Minnesota, Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan won her Democratic primary against Rep. Angie Craig, D-Minn., while sharply critiquing her opponent’s political contributions from AIPAC.

For her own part, Luna has consistently supported Israel as a key ally of the United States, citing aligned interests in the Middle East.

She introduced the Stand with Israel Act, a bill that would bar U.S. funding for the U.N. Human Rights Council until it condemned Hamas for its Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel that left over a thousand victims dead. She also voted repeatedly to send U.S. financial assistance to Israel between 2023 and 2025 and condemned the International Criminal Court for issuing an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for alleged war crimes.

Campaign-finance records show Luna received roughly $38,000 in direct contributions from AIPAC’s PAC — less than 1% of the more than $4.3 million her campaign raised through mid-October.

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Luna did not immediately respond to a request for comment on whether she would encourage other Republicans to also forgo funding from foreign groups.

She noted that her small-dollar contributions would uniquely enable her to shun PACs tied to corporate or foreign interest groups.

“I ruffle a lot of feathers in Washington. These races can get expensive. Fortunately, this cycle, I was able to raise close to $4 million, if not more, largely from small-dollar donations. So I am able, because of you guys’ support, to not take that money anymore,” Luna said.

Russia played a larger role in the Iran war than previously disclosed, with internal defense industry documents revealing how Moscow built up the country’s arsenal ahead of its conflict with the U.S.

A Russian contract is tied to 90 launchers for precision-guided missiles with the destination as Tehran, according to documents obtained and published by Ukrainian defense intelligence research group Dallas Analytics offering new details on the extent of Moscow’s military support for Iran before war erupted.

President Donald Trump has repeatedly downplayed Russia’s role in the conflict — as recently as last month, saying that he did not believe they are helping Iran “at all.”

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Russian production records show components were allocated for 90 APU-L twin-rail launchers under a contract identified as “K-10,” with shipments within the Russian production chain scheduled from late 2024 through December 2025.

Other internal Russian documents obtained by Dallas Analytics explicitly identify “K-10” as Iran. An October 2022 supply request for equipment for a Yak-130 aircraft lists the consignee as “‘K10’ Iran” and was countersigned by the acting head of the Russian Defense Ministry’s 704th Military Representation.

The K-10 designation can also be traced to Russian military hardware that ultimately reached Iran. An internal Russian production schedule listed six Yak-130 aircraft for a consignee identified as K-10. Iranian state media later showed the aircraft entering service in September 2023, and Dallas Analytics said the tail number of one Iranian Yak-130 matched the number listed for K-10 in the Russian factory records.

The APU-L launchers are designed to carry Russia’s LMUR, a precision-guided missile also known as Product 305 or the Kh-39. The roughly 230-pound missile carries a 55-pound warhead and can be guided in flight by an operator using an electro-optical seeker and two-way radio link.

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Iran had already publicly announced plans to acquire Russian Mi-28 attack helicopters, one of the platforms capable of carrying the weapon. The first export-variant Mi-28NE helicopters were photographed in Iran in January 2026.

The paperwork also shows involvement by Russia’s Defense Ministry. A May 2024 letter accompanying the K-10 production schedule was co-signed by the head of the ministry’s 123rd Military Representation.

The documents do not establish whether the completed launchers ultimately reached Iran, though Dallas Analytics told Fox News Digital the contract itself is “a very strong proof” of the transfer.

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The findings add new detail to a military relationship the Trump administration has repeatedly played down during the war. U.S. intelligence has assessed that Russia provided Iran with information on the location of American military assets and, more recently, satellite imagery and weapons components, according to reports.

But administration officials have said that support has not materially affected the U.S. campaign.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Russian assistance was not impeding U.S. military operations, while Secretary of War Pete Hegseth has said the U.S. was tracking Moscow’s support and accounting for it in its battle plans.

The Trump administration has separately sought to disrupt Iran’s foreign weapons procurement as Tehran works to rebuild its military capabilities.

The Treasury Department has targeted networks it says helped Iran seek weapons and components abroad, including efforts to acquire Chinese-made man-portable air-defense systems.

Just this week, the State Department sanctioned a Russia-based individual it said was involved in efforts to help Iran procure Chinese-made man-portable air-defense systems, or MANPADS.

Fox News Digital has reached out to the White House, State Department and Department of War for comment.