President Donald Trump said Friday that Stephen Miller was replacing Susie Wiles as White House chief of staff, mere days after Republicans lost control of Congress in the midterm elections. Miller, long a key member of Trump's inner circle, is a key architect of the administration's hard-line immigration policies. Wiles, a steely political operator and the first woman to serve in the post, was Trump's longest-serving White House chief of staff and his longtime adviser.
A handful of remaining Senate and House races, still to be called by The Associated Press, will determine the strength of Democrats' majority in Congress. Democrats will hold at least 54 seats in the 100-member Senate next year, and as many as 56 depending on final results in Alaska and Mississippi — where contests remain narrow with votes still outstanding.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, who is likely to return as majority leader next year, promised in an interview with the AP that Democrats will prevent the Republican president from installing a "right-winger" on the Supreme Court or "crappy nominees" elsewhere in the federal judiciary or in Trump's Cabinet.
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Congressional Hispanic Caucus chair says promoting Miller is ‘putting lipstick on a pig’
Democratic Rep. Adriano Espaillat of New York said Trump’s decision to name Miller the White House chief of staff “is a desperate and irresponsible cry for attention.”
He said Miller has been the architect of Trump’s immigration policies and voters have “rejected mass deportations, the targeting of Latino communities.”
To give Miller “a fancier title is just putting lipstick on a pig,” he said.
‘I wanted to make a change,’ Trump says, explaining chief of staff shakeup
Trump praised both Wiles and Miller to reporters but said it was time for a change.
“Susie has done a very good job. Great job,” Trump said as he left the White House to travel to Florida. But he said, “We’ve got to make moves sometimes.”
Trump said Miller is great.
“He gets it” and is “very good politically. And he’s a very good man. He’ll do a great job, great manager,” Trump said.
House Oversight’s Garcia warns Stephen Miller: ‘Lawyer up’
Rep. Robert Garcia, who is in line to become chairman of the Oversight Committee, said Trump is “doubling down” on the administration policies that voters just rejected in the midterm election.
“Stephen Miller is the architect of the unconstitutional ICE raids that have terrorized our communities and kidnapped and killed American citizens and immigrant families,” said Garcia of California.
Garcia said the committee continues to investigate Miller “for his misconduct, and we will fight against his hateful policies in Congress and the courts.”
Wiles is the first woman to ever serve as White House chief of staff
Announcing her departure on social media, Wiles called serving Trump “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 wrote. “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,” Wiles said.
Wiles steered Trump’s 2024 comeback campaign. She has long been seen as a check on some of his most destructive impulses.
Who is Stephen Miller, Trump’s new chief of staff
He’s one of Trump’s most loyal and longest-serving advisers. He came aboard Trump’s longshot 2016 presidential campaign as a speechwriter and has remained in the president’s orbit.
Miller, 41, currently serves as White House deputy chief of staff and, though his portfolio is wide-ranging, Miller is most closely aligned with Trump’s actions and rhetoric on immigration.
He’s a former Capitol Hill staffer who worked for former Sen. Jeff Sessions, an Alabama Republican who was Trump’s first attorney general.
During the midterm campaign, Miller took frequent partisan swipes at Democrats, calling them “extremists, freaks and America-hating lunatics” on social media. He also promoted unfounded theories about election fraud in California and Alaska
Connecticut Sen. Chris Murphy discharged from hospital after stroke
Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy says he will be spending several weeks at a rehabilitation center after being discharged from the hospital Friday after suffering a stroke.
Murphy said the doctors are encouraged by the progress he’s made and the time at the rehabilitation center will help him get back to work on the quickest timeline possible. He expects to miss the next several weeks of votes as he continues his recovery.
“I want to be direct with you,” Murphy said in a statement. “So here is my diagnosis. Last Saturday afternoon, I felt something was not right with my body and called 9-1-1 out of an abundance of caution, and I’m glad I did. I was diagnosed with a small bleed in the thalamus region of my brain.”
Murphy says he’s staying engaged with his colleagues and staff remotely to ensure the work of his office continues.
Rubio will venture to France for first post-midterm global trip as questions about Trump policies swirl
Secretary of State Marco Rubio is set to embark on his first post-midterm foreign trip to attend a Group of 7 foreign ministers meeting in France next week.
He’ll likely face questions about the Trump administration’s policies, namely in Iran, after huge Republican losses in elections that gave Democrats control of Congress.
The State Department said Friday that Rubio would travel to Paris to meet his counterparts from Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy and Japan on Monday and Tuesday.
The G7 nations will confront a number of unresolved world crises, including the Iran and Russia-Ukraine wars. They must also cope with Trump’s often antagonistic approach to allies and concerns that the election results may harden his attitude.
Rubio is often seen as presenting a gentler side to Trump’s belligerence in foreign policy. He may get questions about speculation he might leave the administration to prepare for a 2028 presidential run, which he has adamantly denied.
Susie Wiles, Trump’s longest-serving White House chief of staff, is leaving the administration
President Donald Trump said Friday that Stephen Miller was replacing Susie Wiles as White House chief of staff, mere days after Republicans lost control of Congress in the midterm elections.
On his social media site, Trump praised Wiles and said she’d continue to work for his political organization.
Miller, long a key member of Trump’s inner circle, is a key architect of the administration’s hard-line immigration policies.
Wiles, the steely political operator and longtime adviser to Trump, was the first woman to ever serve in that post.
Wiles’ departure comes almost immediately after the GOP’s midterm thrashing on Tuesday. She will be replaced by Stephen Miller, a longtime trusted aide to Trump.
The departure also came months after Wiles indicated she no longer showed evidence of breast cancer after she underwent months of treatment for the disease, a diagnosis she went public with in March 2026.
Wiles is the longest-serving White House chief of staff for Trump, who cycled through four of them during his first four-year term.
Democrats win the Arizona House, Senate and governor’s office for the first time since 1966
Democrats in Arizona won control of both legislative chambers and retained the governor's office, giving the party its first trifecta in the state since 1966 as Democrats made major gains nationwide in this week's elections and took control of both chambers of Congress.
In her first term, Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs had vetoed more than 540 measures passed by the Republican-led Legislature on policies including taxes, immigration and voting laws. Hobbs has said she's looking to address water issues and affordability, and take on fraud and abuse in the state's school voucher program.
The Associated Press called enough legislative races to confirm that both chambers flipped on Friday. The news organization calls races individually and it can take several days after voting, depending on when election officials tally the votes and how close the elections are. There have not been major disputes or disruptions this year.
In Arizona, Republicans have held the House for 60 years and the Senate since the early 1990s.
Trump says he wants Gruters to stay on as head of RNC, despite losses
In a Truth Social post, Trump is praising “MAGA Warrior Joe Gruters” and says Gruters should continue to serve as chairman of the Republican National Committee.
“As Chairman, Joe turned the RNC into an efficient, focused, and powerful machine that will continue to empower the America First Agenda for many years to come,” Trump writes, endorsing him for a second term.
“Joe Gruters should return as Chairman of the RNC to continue to build our Party, and be a trusted partner as we MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN, and ensure Free and Fair Elections,” he says.
“Joe is 100% America First, the Grassroots LOVES him, and I know he will do an incredible job in 2028, and secure Great Success for Republicans all across our Country. Joe has my Complete and Total Endorsement.”
Beijing confirms it’s discussing a Xi-Trump-Putin summit
Beijing confirmed for the first time that it’s discussing a possible meeting between Chinese leader Xi Jinping, U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Mao Ning, spokesperson for the Chinese foreign ministry, said at a regular briefing that China “is in communication with relevant parties regarding a meeting between the three heads of state.”
The three-leader meeting would be historic if it happens during a regional economic summit this month in the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen. But experts say the trio may not agree on what to discuss when their interests are at odds.
Trump has said he wants to discuss nuclear arms control, while Putin is interested in discussing the war with Ukraine without Kyiv at the table.
If it happens, the meeting is certain to upset Europe, while China hopes to score a diplomatic win by facilitating the summit.
Amazon releases trailer for the follow-up to Melania Trump’s documentary about herself
The minute-long trailer promoting the two-part series features Melania Trump in never-before-seen moments in her roles as wife, mother and first lady.
It will be available on Nov. 20. Amazon Prime Video also produced “Melania,” the documentary, which was in theaters in January.
The first lady said in a September interview on Fox News Channel’s “Fox & Friends” that “Melania: The Series” is different from the documentary “because it’s more conversation, one on one with me.”
She said the docuseries will have some surprises, too.
“So when I was traveling and doing all of the filming, the director was asking me questions, and there are some private questions that I will answer that people never heard before. So it’s kind of exciting,” Melania Trump said.
Houston mayor signs order to limit cooperation with ICE, says ‘elections matter’ after Democrats win
The mayor of Houston on Friday said the city would limit cooperation with federal immigration authorities, heralding “a new model” of immigration enforcement after Democrats swept statewide offices in Texas.
Mayor John Whitmire said the city would go after immigrants “that pose a danger, not those that are going about their family business, work and education.”
“Traffic incident will not even ... you write a citation or you warn them and they go about their way. No contact with (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement) over nonviolent, non-jailable offenses. it reduces the fear and anxiety.”
Details of the change were to be spelled out in an executive order but the move by the nation’s fourth-largest city is one of the first steps to curb ICE’s powers since Tuesday’s election.
DHS says it acted lawfully in talks with Iran on deportations
Court documents Thursday showed that the Trump administration held secret talks with Iran to deport Iranians during the war.
In its first comments since the revelation, the Department of Homeland Security justified the ongoing contacts in a statement Friday, saying that it’s common practice for Immigration and Customs Enforcement to work with countries to get travel documents.
It said it follows all “established protocols” to allow people to meet with consular officials from their country.
“As promised, the Trump Administration is employing all lawful options to execute the largest deportation operation in history,” the department said.
The judge in a lawsuit challenging the deportations questioned how the U.S. could send people back to a country where they could face a “serious threat of certain death.”
DHS did not respond to a question about the potential danger the deportees might face.
Protesters break into Microsoft data center site as Europe backlash spreads
Some of the protesters climbed a construction crane and set off flares while others clashed with police Friday at the Microsoft data center site in Amsterdam. More actions were planned in other countries after U.S. elections ushered in a wave of Democrats promising to clamp down on data centers.
“We don’t want it to be built. Nobody needs it,” Nathan Timmer of the Push Back group told local broadcaster AT5. “The only thing this will be used for is AI slop. AI warfare, data surveillance, and committing genocides. We don’t want that.”
A Microsoft spokesperson said "we understand that people feel strongly about the project, and we respect their right to express those views peacefully. However, we do not condone any actions that are unlawful or that put people's safety at risk."
Sununu points finger at Trump for midterm losses
The New Hampshire Republican, who fell short in his comeback bid for the Senate on Tuesday, blamed Trump’s failure to deliver on his “drain the swamp” promise for the catastrophic results.
“Now it seems like he or his family is in on every transaction and deal that goes on in Washington,” Sununu told former Ohio Gov. John Kasich, according to a transcript released by Kasich’s SiriumXM show.
That, along with Trump’s handling of the Iran war, “caused people to say, ‘You know, I just can’t vote for a Republican while he’s still in office,’” Sununu said.
Colorado Republican Jeff Hurd wins reelection to the House
Republican incumbent Jeff Hurd defeated Democrat Dwayne Romero Friday in Colorado’s 3rd Congressional District.
Hurd was first elected to the House in 2024, representing Colorado’s rural Western Slope. He was a lawyer before entering Congress. Democrats had targeted the Republican-leaning district as a potential pickup opportunity. Romero is a retired Army officer and former state economic development official. The Associated Press declared Hurd the winner at 11:24 a.m. EST.
New York Republican Anthony Constantino wins House election
Constantino defeated Democrat Blake Gendebien on Friday in New York’s 21st Congressional District,
Constantino took over his father’s printing business and later founded his own, Sticker Mule. He prominently advertises his support for Trump on one of the company’s buildings. He says he was recruited to run by Trump ally Roger Stone and touts a stint as a professional boxer. He’ll replace Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik. The Associated Press declared Constantino the winner at 11:23 a.m. EST.
White House highlights website for Trump’s proposed arch after judge delays construction
The new website features a series of slick renderings showing the proposed 250-foot (76 meter) arch from multiple angles where Trump wants to build it between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery.
The White House highlighted the website the morning after a federal judge blocked the Trump administration from breaking ground on the arch for 14 days.
The judge’s decision followed a vote to approve the arch by a federal planning commission stocked with the Republican president’s allies. Thursday’s 8-4 vote came after hours of public testimony in opposition to the arch.
A group of veterans joined the District of Columbia and Virginia as plaintiffs in a federal lawsuit seeking to block the arch.
US, allies condemn prison sentence for Hong Kong activist Joshua Wong
The United States and nine of its allies are condemning Hong Kong’s 10-year prison sentence for democracy activist Joshua Wong, demanding an immediate end to “unjust prosecutions” under a strict Beijing-imposed National Security Law.
Wong was sentenced on Thursday by a Hong Kong court for colluding with foreign forces to endanger national security. The U.S. consulate’s condemnation of the punishment was joined Friday by the governments of Australia, Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands and New Zealand.
Their joint statement said the verdict and similar ones handed down recently show how the law “is being used to target individuals for political expression and participation,” and called for “an immediate end to all unjust prosecutions of individuals charged under the NSL.”
Hong Kong and mainland Chinese officials have rejected the complaints.
Republicans might not regain a majority to approve justices for years
The Democrats’ sizable Senate margin will hamper GOP efforts to regain ground in 2028, when Republicans will be defending Senate seats in Wisconsin, North Carolina and Iowa.
“Chance of confirming a worthy successor to Justice Thomas and/or Alito during President Trump’s term: Zero,” Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis posted on X after Tuesday’s elections. “Chance of confirming a worthy successor during a hypothetical GOP admin 2029-2033: probably zero (GOP won’t be able to recapture enough seats in 28).”
Even if a surprise Supreme Court vacancy emerges in the coming weeks, a lame-duck confirmation while Republicans still remain in power isn’t a sure thing, given that Trump encouraged the exits of GOP senators Thom Tillis, Bill Cassidy and John Cornyn. Maine Sen. Susan Collins also attributed her defeat in part to Trump.
White House says it’s Democrats who have politicized the Supreme Court
“President Trump will never let them pack the Supreme Court and ruin the independent judiciary,” White House spokeswoman Lauren Bis said, saying some “extreme Democrats” have been “entertaining plans to pack the Court with liberal justices.”
The two oldest justices, Samuel Alito, 76, and Clarence Thomas, 78, have not publicly indicated an imminent retirement before Democratic majorities control the House and the Senate come January.
“I think the justices must know that if they were to retire now, at this moment, right before Democrats take the Senate, there would be an enormous amount of pressure unlike any we’ve seen to make serious change to the court,” said Dale Carpenter, a law professor at Southern Methodist University.
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