Miller Pledges 'Absolute Loyalty' to Trump at Mar-a-Lago as Democrats Vow to Fight Him Before He Replaces Wiles

Since Trump announced Friday, Nov. 6, that Stephen Miller would replace Susie Wiles as White House chief of staff, Democratic leaders have made clear how they intend to receive him.

Miller's public statements

Miller posted on X that "the mission now is more clear than ever: Fight with all of our soul to support our president and defend this magnificent republic," adding that he was "honored beyond words" to be Trump's pick. He also called Trump "the most transformative political leader in American History" and thanked Wiles for her service.

Trump called Miller "one of my most trusted advisors" on Truth Social and said he begins Monday. Miller, 41, has been at Trump's side since the 2016 campaign.

White House communications director Steven Cheung backed the pick on X, writing that there is "no bigger advocate for the Trump agenda than Stephen." Trump told reporters, "Stephen Miller's been with me since the beginning. He gets it," and called him "very good politically" and a "great manager."

Democrats respond

House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries, likely the next speaker, went furthest. He called Miller "a dangerous xenophobe and reckless extremist who has American blood on his hands" and wrote that his "presence in government should be eradicated like a malignant tumor."

Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said Trump "learned nothing from his historic defeat" and called Miller "the architect of the most barbaric, inhumane policies of this administration." He promised Democratic majorities "will fight him every step of the way."

Rep. Robert Garcia, who is in line to become chairman of the House Oversight Committee, said Miller "should lawyer up." "Oversight Democrats will continue to investigate Miller for his misconduct, and we will fight against his hateful policies in Congress and the courts," Garcia said.

Rep. Jamie Raskin called Miller a "sadist" and said Trump has become a "masochist" for choosing him.

The criticism is not only from Democrats. Republican Sen. Thom Tillis called the choice "a colossal mistake" and "the worst of all possible choices," saying Miller is a polarizing figure even among Republicans. Utah Sen. Mike Lee, by contrast, praised Miller as "a true conservative warrior."

What Trump has said about working with Democrats

The appointment landed alongside a conciliatory message. CBS News reported that Trump said in recent days that he thinks he can work with the incoming Democratic leadership. But Miller's promotion could lay the groundwork for a much more confrontational relationship, CBS noted.

Immigration is Miller's signature issue. He is the architect of the administration's immigration enforcement and deportation program, and he appeared alongside Trump in the Oval Office this summer as Trump signed executive orders to refuse citizenship to some children born in the United States.

Miller's record includes a reversal. After federal immigration officials shot and killed Alex Pretti during a deportation operation in Minneapolis, Miller called him a "domestic terrorist" and an "assassin." He later said federal agents "may not have been following" proper protocol.

Why Wiles left

Trump told reporters, "I wanted to make a change." He added, "Sometimes in life, you have to make moves." He praised Wiles' work, and she is moving to the Trump Political Operation.

Wiles submitted her resignation Thursday night, a U.S. official and a senior White House adviser told CBS News. Three sources told CBS that her resignation was tied to Republicans' midterm defeats. They said she had planned to stay through the lame-duck session and leave around the end of the year or early next year, but Trump accelerated the timeline.

Wiles wrote on X: "Today is my last day as White House Chief of Staff."

Axios, citing unnamed sources, reported that Wiles had questioned the hardline immigration tactics Miller championed and opposed the administration's war in Iran. One Trump adviser told Axios, "Stephen is a wartime adviser" built for the coming clashes with a Democratic Congress.

The timing is awkward. Three weeks before the midterms, Trump had said there was "zero chance" he would replace Wiles, dismissing reporting that named Miller among possible successors. Democrats won control of both chambers of Congress in Tuesday's midterm elections.

What comes next

Miller takes over Monday as Democrats plan sweeping investigations into the administration's actions, including its immigration enforcement policies. The chief of staff is gatekeeper to the president, agenda-setter in the White House and chief negotiator with Congress, the same Congress whose Democratic leaders have vowed to fight him.

It is unclear which Trump will show up: the one who says he can work with Democrats, or the one who just installed the man they have promised to fight.