Top White House staffer leaves after Stephen Miller promoted

Top White House staffer leaves after Stephen Miller promoted Richard Walters leaving after six months as one of Susie Wiles’ ‘closest political lieutenants’ as Trump administration shake-up continues following midterms wipeout - Bookmark - CommentsGo to comments Become an Independent member to bookmark this article Already a member? Log in A top White House staffer is leaving the Trump administration following the appointment of Stephen Miller as President Donald Trump’s new chief of staff, replacing “Ice Maiden” Susie Wiles. Richard Walters is leaving his post as deputy chief of staff for legislative, political and public affairs, Axios reported Sunday, making him the first to depart since Trump announced Wiles’s exit Friday. Her departure came after the Republicans’ disastrous performance in last week’s midterms that saw the GOP lose control of Congress. Walters, described as “one of Wiles’ closest political lieutenants,” confirmed his resignation in a statement to the publication that read: “Serving President Trump has been the honor of a lifetime and I will always be thankful to Susie Wiles for the opportunity. “Stephen is building an incredible and capable team to implement the President’s agenda and I look forward to being part of it from the outside,” the 37 year-old added. Miller has since told The Independent in a statement: “Richard has been an invaluable member of the White House and has helped deliver some of the administration’s biggest victories. “While he will be leaving us, Richard will continue to help from the outside as we continue to work with all of our strength to deliver for President Trump and his courageous fight to Save America.” The Mississippian joined the White House in May as a successor to James Blair, having previously served as the longest-tenured chief of staff in Republican National Committee history, worked on all three Trump presidential campaigns and served as executive director of the president’s 2025 inaugural committee. It was suggested weeks before the midterms that Trump might go on a “rampage” and seek to blame members of his staff if the GOP failed to get over the line. New York Times journalist Maggie Haberman told CNN the president raged at Wiles after the Democrats picked up wins across the country to secure a majority of 54 to 44 and counting in the Senate and at least 254 to 162 in the House of Representatives. The president gave his first major interview since the disaster to CBS News’s 60 Minutes Sunday in which host Ross Douthat asked him: “In a previous lifetime, you were rather famous for saying ‘You’re fired,’ quite often. After a big midterm defeat like this, do you expect to fire anyone from your team?” “Yeah,” Trump answered. “You do a little bit. A little bit. I love my cabinet. I think they’re good. But I’ll be doing maybe a few changes. I don’t want to mention who.” In the interview the president admitted his illegal immigration crackdown may have been another reason for voters turning against his party last week, conceding it had been “too tough,” but Miller’s ascent means it is unlikely to be further scaled back, given that he is known as a hardliner on the issue. During Trump’s first term in 2018, Miller’s own uncle, retired neuropsychologist Dr David Glosser, attacked him as a “hypocrite” in an article written for Politico, in which he pointed out that their own family, which fled antisemitic pogroms in Belarus, would not have been allowed into the U.S. had he been in charge at the turn of the 20th century. “I have watched with dismay and increasing horror as my nephew, an educated man who is well aware of his heritage, has become the architect of immigration policies that repudiate the very foundation of our family’s life in this country,” Glosser wrote. Join our commenting forum Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies Comments