Susie Wiles to quit White House: Insiders claim Trump's chief of staff is 'drained' by cabinet chaos... and stung by president's 'insult'

By ELINA SHIRAZI, US SENIOR POLITICAL REPORTER Published: 23:40, 5 June 2026 | Updated: 23:41, 5 June 2026 Donald Trump's White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles is preparing to leave, five insiders have told the Daily Mail. Wiles, 69, has worked for the president since his first campaign in 2015 and, following his November 2024 second election victory, has held the top chief of staff role in his White House. But now, Trump's redoubtable right-hand woman – who he has nicknamed his 'Ice Maiden' – is quietly planning her exit after November's midterm elections, notably frustrated by the President's recent Cabinet appointments, sources say. When asked by the Daily Mail, Wiles did not deny that she plans to quit, although she rejected claims about tension with the President and his recent appointments. Insiders say she views the pivotal November midterms as her natural off-ramp, and a final chance to make her mark as Trump faces a seismic test amid growing national frustration over the Iran war and rising inflation. But Wiles' battle right now isn't just political – it's also physical, and deeply personal.  Visitors to Trump's inner sanctum are warned not to approach or even touch Wiles – who revealed an early-stage breast cancer diagnosis in March – because of the risk of infecting her with other illness during ongoing treatment. Her poor health coincides with Trump, 79, testing her iron grip on White House personnel with the appointment of ultra-MAGA loyalists whom she opposes, sources say. 'She is getting cancer treatment and is completely drained, and now Trump is taking more and more control of the White House, which he wanted,' one White House insider said. Donald Trump's White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles is preparing to quit, five insiders have told the Daily Mail Trump's right-hand woman is quietly planning her exit after the midterm elections, apparently frustrated by the president's recent Cabinet appointments, sources say  Trump has promoted both Bill Pulte, a Florida real estate executive, to acting Director of National Intelligence, and has formally nominated Todd Blanche, his former personal lawyer, to be the new Attorney General.  The elevation of Pulte was seen as a direct insult to Wiles, three White House insiders confirmed, after she is said to have 'vehemently' opposed the extraordinary step of allowing the former leader of the Federal Housing Finance Agency to now oversee all of the CIA, FBI and 16 other national agencies.  Insiders say Trump has told close confidants that he has increasingly come to resent Wiles telling him what to do, a snowballing misalignment between the previously close pair that apparently led to his decision to promote Pulte.  'She is loyal to Trump, but he is now basically saying, 'Look, Ma, you are not the boss of me,' a source familiar with the strained relationship said. Pulte's qualifications and suitability for the National Intelligence role have drawn scrutiny, particularly following his orchestration of an aborted '50-year mortgage' proposal at the FHFA that sparked outcry from both the housing and finance sectors. And, amid mounting backlash from GOP senators, even Trump was forced to tell reporters in the Oval Office on Thursday that 'he is not going to be permanent'. 'Susie was totally against the Pulte move. As a matter of fact, less than a month ago she tried to have Pulte fired. It was after Trump posted the meme of himself as Jesus. That was Pulte's idea,' the source familiar with the strained relationship said. Four insiders with first-hand knowledge confirmed that Wiles wanted Pulte terminated over the social media stunt that sparked an international firestorm in April. Pulte's purported role in orchestrating the AI 'Jesus meme' not only fractured relationships within the administration but triggered a direct, highly public confrontation with the Catholic Church and the Vatican. Wiles has argued with Pulte and Natalie Harp, Trump's 'human printer' political aide who helps manage his social media accounts, over the incident, sources said. The chief of staff reportedly called in Pulte for a dressing down, warning him in no uncertain terms that if he kept feeding Trump such incendiary posts, it would cost him his job. Trump has promoted Bill Pulte (right), a Florida real estate executive, to acting Director of National Intelligence The elevation of Pulte was seen as a direct insult to Wiles (pictured on November 2024 election night), three White House insiders confirmed, after she is said to have 'vehemently' opposed the move  'Susie was totally against the Pulte move. As a matter of fact, less than a month ago she tried to have Pulte fired. It was after Trump posted the meme of himself as Jesus. That was Pulte's idea,' a source said Wiles does not appear to be 'enthusiastic' about the recent promotion of Blanche either, the same sources revealed. Blanche, who took over as acting Attorney General after Pam Bondi's resignation in April, ignited a Republican civil war last month by rolling out a $1.8 billion 'Anti-Weaponization Fund' to give federal payouts to those who claim they were victims of political prosecutions by the Biden administration. The initiative sparked fury, with GOP critics slamming Blanche for creating what they called a de facto 'slush fund' for Trump's allies. In a statement, the White House said that Blanche has done an 'excellent job' as acting Attorney General and will 'continue doing so' if confirmed for the role. For her part, Wiles described claims she has fallen out with Trump over his recent Cabinet appointments as 'outlandish' and 'absolutely' untrue.  In a statement to the Daily Mail, Wiles wrote: 'It is completely false and defamatory to suggest I don't work to help ALL of President appointees as they enter their assignments. The fact is that President Trump selects the best people for his Administration and we all work together to advance his agenda. 'I have observed how hard [Pulte] works at FHFA, and I believe he will bring that same energy and tenacity as acting Director of National Intelligence.' A White House spokesperson said, '[Wiles] is committed to the President,' and stressed that Wiles has continued working at full steam since her cancer diagnosis.  But sources say that the rift between Wiles and Trump over their preferred loyalists has even spilled over into the logistics of Presidential travel. Wiles does not appear to be 'enthusiastic' about the recent promotion of Todd Blanche (pictured) either Wiles sits on a couch as President Trump takes questions from reporters in the Oval Office at the White House on June 4 'She is loyal to Trump, but he is now basically saying, 'Look, Ma, you are not the boss of me,'' a source familiar with the strained relationship said  Sources reveal that Wiles has repeatedly attempted to bar Pulte from boarding Air Force One during flights between Washington and Mar-a-Lago. Because Pulte is a member of the Palm Beach club, however, Trump has routinely overruled his chief of staff, telling Pulte that he can fly with him. Pulte insists to the Daily Mail that Wiles has 'been a force for good' pushing Trump's agenda and is 'widely respected by all'. 'We would not be here without her leadership. It has been a pleasure to work with her and it will continue to be as I embark on this new position,' Pulte said. The timing of Wiles' anticipated exit is everything. With the Iran conflict dominating the geopolitical landscape, she cannot leave now without causing a public relations disaster for Trump and his team, sources say. Many allies of Wiles have also left the administration or been moved to different roles of late.  National security aide Robert Gabriel announced his departure late last month alongside others in Wiles' tight inner circle, such as Senior White House aide Trent Morse, former White House Deputy Chief of Staff Taylor Budwich, former Special Assistant to the President Sonny Nelson and White House Deputy Chief of Staff James Blair, who was moved to handle midterm election messaging and spending. 'Some of them know she is leaving soon and are of course very close to her. So they too, have to find their next move and transition out of the administration together and adapt,' a source close to Trump said. While she is said to be carefully timing her exit, the rumor mills are already spinning about her next move.  Wiles has reportedly been in touch with lobbying firms and has been having other conversations outside the White House to figure out what comes next.  Regardless, those in the President's world want the appearance of unity to be front and center. 'There has been no stronger team than the one President Trump has put together, and everyone works collaboratively, with respect for one another, to advance priorities for the American people. The truth does not reside with these unnamed and anonymous cowards,' said White House Communications Director Steven Cheung. The comments below have been moderated in advance. The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.