Trump allies push for Susie Wiles to be chief of staff
By Steve Holland and Alexandra Ulmer
WEST PALM BEACH, Florida (Reuters) – Allies of President-elect Donald Trump are encouraging him to pick Susie Wiles, one of his two campaign managers, to be White House chief of staff as he prepares to start making personnel announcements in coming days, sources familiar with the matter said on Thursday.
The Republican Trump has been secluded at his Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida, since defeating Democrat Kamala Harris in Tuesday's election. He is due to take office from Democratic President Joe Biden on Jan. 20, 2025.
Trump is considering a wide array of people for top jobs in his administration, many of them familiar figures from his 2017-2021 presidency, four sources said.
Two of the sources told Reuters that Wiles, a long-time Florida-based political strategist, is viewed as trustworthy and gets plaudits for helping to manage Trump's successful run for the presidency.
As the gatekeeper to the president, the chief of staff typically wields great influence. The person manages White House staff, organizes the president's time and schedule and maintains contact with other government departments and lawmakers.
Wiles is a popular figure among Trump's inner circle and is considered the leading candidate for chief of staff, the sources said.
Two sources said former House of Representatives Speaker Kevin McCarthy, a California Republican who is close to Trump and has been a frequent visitor to Mar-a-Lago, is also under consideration for the key position.
Brooke Rollins, who was the former acting director of Trump's Domestic Policy Council, is also in the running, the sources said.
The Trump team declined to comment on Wiles or other personnel moves. Wiles did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Former U.S. Ambassador to Germany Richard Grenell, who was an acting intelligence chief in Trump's first term and was with him when he recently met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy in New York, is under consideration for secretary of state.
Republican Senator Bill Hagerty, a former U.S. ambassador to Japan, is also under consideration for that position, the sources said.
Hagerty, asked by CNN about being considered for a role in Trump's administration, said, "I'll leave the speculation to the speculators."
(Reporting By Steve Holland, Alexandra Ulmer, editing by Ross Colvin and Howard Goller)
