Trump appoints Stephen Miller as chief of staff after midterm defeat

Summarised from 3 outlets · Updated 9 Nov, 11:02 · Archive

Donald Trump has appointed Stephen Miller as White House chief of staff following Republican losses in midterm elections.

Donald Trump has appointed Stephen Miller as White House chief of staff, replacing long-term adviser Susie Wiles. The i Paper describes Miller as 'far and away the most extreme ideological figure ever to sit in a US president's inner circle' and suggests his appointment signals that Trump is not reconsidering his approach following recent Republican losses in midterm elections.

The Economist and Independent World both report on Trump's response to questions about why Republicans suffered defeats in the midterms. According to Independent World, Trump admitted some errors, including the eight-month-long war against Iran that he started and rising gasoline prices. 'They didn't like the war. They didn't like the fact that gasoline went up because I had it down at a low,' Trump told 60 Minutes. The national average for petrol was above $4 per gallon on Sunday, about a dollar higher than a year earlier.

However, Independent World reports that when pressed on the negative economic impact of the war, Trump shifted responsibility to the media, blaming poor coverage rather than acknowledging broader economic concerns. The i Paper notes that Vice-President JD Vance had publicly stated that Republican losses were heavily tied to Trump's decision to wage war on Iran, suggesting discord within the administration.

Trump's post-election moves also included a Saturday social media post suggesting he had offered the White House press secretary position to Dana White, president and chief executive of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. The i Paper reports that Trump urged White and six UFC fighters to join the White House communications team. An unnamed aide said the post was intended as humour, though it came at a time when few Republicans appeared to be smiling.

How it is being reported

• Trump’s midterm meltdownA handpicked article read aloud from the latest issue of The EconomistThe Economist · 9 Nov, 10:02
• Trump nearly comes to a realization why he got shellacked in the midterms only to quickly blame the mediaTrump started to take some blame for starting an unpopular war in Iran, but he then shifted responsibility to the media for not covering him favorablyIndependent World · 9 Nov, 00:52
• Trump’s latest moves prove he is on a path to self-destructionThe President is revamping his team and shows no signs of learning lessons from the midtermsThe i Paper · 8 Nov, 16:48

In this story: Donald Trump · Stephen Miller · Susie Wiles · JD Vance · Dana White · White House · Ultimate Fighting Championship · United States

This summary was written by AI from the headlines and standfirsts above, and states as fact only what at least two outlets report. How we use AI · Report a problem · Corrections log