CNN
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Donald Trump announced Thursday that his campaign manager, Susie Wiles, will be appointed White House chief of staff.

“Susie Wiles just helped me achieve one of the greatest political victories in American history and was an integral part of my successful 2016 and 2020 campaigns,” the president-elect said in a statement.

“Susie is tough, smart, innovative and universally admired and respected. Susie will continue to work tirelessly to Make America Great Again. It is a well-deserved honor to have Susie as the very first female Chief of Staff in United States history. I have no doubt she will make our country proud,” Trump added.

CNN reported earlier Thursday that Wiles was considered the front-runner for the job but had some reservations about the role and had given Trump certain conditions before she accepted, a source said. At the top of the list was more control over who can reach the president in the Oval Office.

“The clown car can’t just enter the White House,” the source said. “And he agrees with her.”

During Trump’s first term, his chiefs of staff struggled to prevent a roving cast of informal advisers, relatives, friends and other intruders from entering the White House to meet him. Trump is often influenced on an issue by who he speaks to last, a fact well known in his circle that has made life difficult for his top aides.

Wiles was widely credited with running what was seen as Trump’s most sophisticated and disciplined campaign, including keeping many of the fringe voices in his orbit at bay.

For most of the campaign, she was in charge of the flight manifest for Trump’s private plane — a thankless task that required cutting off access to the former president when he himself wouldn’t say “no” to anyone. At times, she also had to confront Trump about keeping certain people at a distance — though her failure to prevent far-right provocateur Laura Loomer from joining the former president at a September 11 debate and memorial drew significant blowback took care of her boss. .

Wiles, the daughter of late NFL announcer Pat Summerall and a veteran Florida political operative, is one of the longest-serving advisers in Trump’s orbit. After helping him win Florida in 2020, she served as de facto chief of staff during his post-presidency and then ran his campaign throughout the race — a rare feat in the Trump world.

On election night, Trump credited Wiles during his victory speech, although she declined to address the crowd gathered at the Palm Beach Convention Center, instead handing the microphone to co-campaign manager Chris LaCivita.

Her willingness to stay in the background has endeared her to Trump and his allies, some of whom have already publicly endorsed her for the job.

“Susie Wiles ran Trump’s best campaign of the three, and it wasn’t exactly close,” Turning Point USA CEO Charlie Kirk wrote of X. “She’s disciplined, she’s smart, and she doesn’t seek the spotlight. She would make an incredible chief of staff. The president, and America, would be well served with Susie in that key role.”

This story and headline have been updated to include Trump’s announcement of Wiles.