President Donald Trump has signaled that the firing of his chief of staff will not be the only casualty of the Republicans' midterm defeat, telling CBS News' "60 Minutes" that he intends to make more changes to his administration in the weeks ahead.
"I do," Trump said when correspondent Ross Douthat asked in the interview, taped Friday morning, whether he planned to terminate members of his team after Republicans lost their majorities in the House and Senate. "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."
President Donald Trump delivers remarks at the White House on November 4, 2026. Photo: Official White House photo, via Wikimedia Commons (public domain).
Miller takes over on Monday
Just hours after the interview was recorded, Trump announced his first move: chief of staff Susie Wiles is out, replaced by longtime adviser Stephen Miller, effective Monday, November 9. Wiles, 69, submitted her resignation on Thursday evening and will move to Trump's political operation.
Miller, 41, is the architect of the administration's hardline immigration crackdown and one of Trump's most trusted advisers. Trump called him "one of my most trusted advisors" and said Miller "has been with me from the beginning."
The shake-up is the first major personnel change since Tuesday's elections, in which Democrats won control of both chambers of Congress, flipping House districts that had voted for Trump by double digits in 2024 and taking Senate seats in historically Republican states including Texas, Kansas and South Carolina.
A president growing angrier
People familiar with Trump's response told CNN the president, who initially appeared unfazed by the results, has grown angrier as he watched coverage of the historic losses. His displeasure surfaced at a tense election-night reception in the East Room of the White House, and the "60 Minutes" interview was recorded just hours before Wiles was dismissed.
Wiles had become a target of former Trump strategist Steve Bannon and other allies of the president's MAGA movement, who blamed her for the election strategy. She was the first woman to serve as White House chief of staff and the longest-serving chief of staff of Trump's second term.
Who could be next?
Trump did not name his next targets, but the interview raised questions about at least one Cabinet member. Douthat also asked Trump whether he had confidence in War Secretary Pete Hegseth, who could face an impeachment vote when the House reconvenes next week under Democratic control.
Reports in the days after the election suggested Hegseth could be removed and that Secretary of State Marco Rubio could leave to prepare for a 2028 presidential run, though neither report has been confirmed by the White House.
The full "60 Minutes" interview airs on Sunday at 7 p.m. ET on CBS. For now, the message from the president is clear: the chief of staff's departure was the beginning of a shake-up, not the end of it. With a Democratic Congress about to take power and investigations expected to follow, Trump is reshaping his inner circle for a far more hostile Washington.
Sources: CNN, New York Post, USA Today, Dawn.