President Donald Trump on Friday denied reports that he is considering replacing White House chief of staff Susie Wiles, calling the claims “TOTAL FAKE NEWS” in a statement emailed to multiple outlets. The denial followed a Politico report published Thursday, which cited four anonymous sources claiming Trump had privately discussed potential replacements for Wiles, including Stephen Miller, Randy Levine, Bill Pulte, Steve Witkoff, and Kevin McCarthy.
The White House spokesperson Danielle Alvarez dismissed the Politico report as baseless, stating that the “anonymous sources” making the claims “know nothing.” Alvarez added that Trump has assembled a “united team” without “the egos and political games of anonymous outsiders.” The same Trump statement was later published by Politico, which had initially reported the allegations. Wiles has not publicly responded to the claims.
Internal jockeying for influence has intensified in the White House as staffers brace for potential midterm election losses and personnel shifts, according to interviews with 20 staffers, advisers, and people close to the president. The discussions, conducted on the condition of anonymity, suggest a power struggle resembling the infighting of Trump’s first term. While Wiles has given no indication she plans to leave, high-level staffers often cycle out after 18 months to two years, and Trump had four chiefs of staff during his first term.
The friction escalated last week after Trump unilaterally named Katie Zacharia as the new White House press secretary without consulting Wiles, according to four people familiar with the decision. This move was viewed internally as an undermining of Wiles’ authority, contributing to perceptions of a less-disciplined operation and an unsettled center of power. One Trump ally described the past week as “the new Wild Wild West.”
Trump has previously publicly criticized outlets including Politico, CNN, and MSNBC, accusing them of dishonest reporting. In September, he announced plans to block these outlets from White House access, citing their coverage as the reason. The White House has not provided further details on personnel changes or the status of Wiles’ tenure.