'Competent and loyal': Incoming chief of staff says Trump 'knows much more' about how Washington works

For many years, veteran GOP operative Susie Wiles was best known for her work in Florida politics. Gov. Ron DeSantis and Sen. Rick Scott (R-Florida) were among her top clients.

But these days, Wiles, now 67, has a strong presence in national politics thanks to her role in President-elect Donald Trump's political operation. Wiles co-chaired Trump's 2024 campaign, and he has chosen her for White House chief of staff for his incoming second administration — a nomination that is likely to go through, as Wiles isn't among Trump's more controversial picks.

In an interview with Axios' Marc Caputo published on January 6, Wiles stressed that Trump "knows much more about the way the Washington institutions work" in 2025 than he did when he was sworn in for his first term eight years ago.

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Asked how "the Trump 47 Administration" will "differ from Trump 45," Wiles told Caputo that he now understands "the need to have people who are serving be both competent and loyal."

Trump, Wiles emphasized, will be much more hands-on during his second administration.

Wiles told Caputo, "He has taken a keen interest in personnel and has personally interviewed and hired all the Cabinet and many sub-Cabinet hires…. He engaged fully with hiring ... He interviewed the Cabinet leadership, and made it clear his priorities for White House and agency staff. We set timelines and held ourselves accountable for the deadlines we set."

When Caputo asked Wiles what outgoing President Joe Biden's staff has "been like to work with during the transition," she responded that White House chief of staff Jeff Zients "has been very helpful."

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Wiles told Caputo, "He has made great suggestions, helped make sure we stay on time with required functions, helped us navigate the labyrinth that is the executive office of the president, and been very professional. He introduced me to the 'former chief of staff club' and even hosted a dinner (for Wiles and the former chief) at his beautiful home."

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Read the full Axios interview at this link.