Susie Wiles becomes chief of staff Hardly anyone knows this woman, yet she is Trump's mastermind

Susie Wiles becomes Chief of Staff under Donald Trump. Hardly anyone outside Washington knows her - and yet she wields enormous power. Who is the woman behind Trump's triumph?

She prefers not to be in the public eye. When Donald Trump stood in front of the microphones in West Palm Beach, Florida, shortly after 2.30 a.m. local time last Wednesday and crowned himself the winner of the election despite the ongoing count, Susie Wiles hid away from the cameras at the edge of the stage.

She does get a few seconds at the center of world events - albeit not by choice. Trump brings her to the podium in the middle of his speech and hands her the microphone to say a few words to Trump's followers. Wiles doesn't want to. The spotlight is not for her. The 67-year-old is the string-puller in the background. She wields her power away from the cameras.

Wiles' closeness to the Republican Party was practically laid in her cradle. She was born and raised in New Jersey, a deep blue state, but her family lives by traditional Republican values. Her father, NFL star Pat Summerall, even considered running for a Senate seat for the Republicans in 1981. The thought remains.

Wiles earns Trump's respect

Susie Wiles was interested in politics from an early age. At the age of just 22, she became an assistant in Jack Kemp's parliamentary office in Washington D.C. She then moved on to local politics, including helping the previously unknown Rick Scott to become governor of Florida in 2010.

She then joined Trump's campaign team in 2016. In this role, she was largely responsible for the Republican's victory in his adopted home state of Florida. This almost led to a falling out, as theNew York Timeslater learned. One evening, when Trump found out about her low poll ratings, he called Wiles in and told her to look for a new job because he didn't want to keep her.

Wiles stays - and Trump's poll ratings rise. Later, according to someone who was there, she told Trump that she would not be treated like that again. "Trump then said it would never happen again. It was almost like an apology. It was clear to everyone that she had earned his respect."

Wiles left Trump's team after the presidential election for a position in Ron DeSantis' campaign team. But he was not happy with her and kicked her out after just a few months. When Trump hit a political low after the Capitol storm, he brought Wiles back. And she stays. Longer this time.

Gentle granny - and tough activist

Internal circles describe Wiles as a tough political activist who likes to present herself to the outside world as a gentle grandma. "She is modest, but loyal and very honest with everyone - even if that sometimes hurts those affected," says Chris LaCivita, co-manager of Trump's election campaign, toPoliticomagazine. "She has all the qualities of a good leader."

This is also evident in the 2024 election campaign. Trump has not changed much, continuing to attack his opponents on stage and promising radical changes if he wins the election. "But backstage, the Trump campaign was much better organized across the board this time than it was in 2016 and 2020. That's mainly to do with Wiles," says a source in theBusiness Standard.

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Wiles is one of the few people Trump does not replace during the election campaign. "She managed to earn his respect and was able to show him that it's better to follow her advice," a source from Trump's campaign team told the AP news agency. Trump himself knows this too. At a rally in Milwaukee earlier this month, he said. "This may be my best campaign ever. And Susie - she's incredible, she's organizing it all. Really incredible."

Wiles reaches career peak

This is probably one of the reasons why Wiles has now been appointed by Trump to the highest administrative office in the new government. Wiles is the first woman ever to become Chief of Staff in the White House, pulling the strings but remaining in the background. At the same time, she will also be responsible for the daily briefings.

"It's not easy, especially with guys like Trump," says Chris Whipple, who has written an entire book about the role of chief of staff, to the Business Standard. "At the end of the day, you also have to tell the president what he doesn't want to hear." Wiles therefore seems like a logical choice as, according to insiders, she is one of the few people Trump actually listens to.

Trump himself speaks of an "honor" that Wiles has accepted the office. "I have no doubt that she will make our country proud. Susie is tough, smart, innovative and admired and respected by all."

For the politically enthusiastic Republican, at the age of 67, it is likely to be the highlight of her career. Critics say it remains to be seen whether Susie Wiles can shed her role as campaign manager and also manage the complex political system in Washington D.C.. But the critical voices remain reserved.

The vast majority have a lot of confidence in Wiles - even from the ranks of her competitors, there is mostly praise and admiration. In the spring, John Morgan, a well-known Democrat supporter, told theNew York Times: "She only knows one thing: winning."