President-elect Donald Trump has named Susie Wiles, the de facto manager of his victorious campaign, as his White House chief of staff, the first woman to hold the influential role.
Wiles has been widely credited inside and outside Trump’s inner circle for leading his most disciplined and well-executed campaign to date, and was considered a leading candidate for the position.
She has largely avoided the spotlight, even refusing to take the microphone to speak as Trump celebrated his victory early Wednesday morning. She has resisted the formal title of campaign manager, avoiding becoming a target, given Trump’s history of circulating staffers for the role.
Wiles’s appointment is Trump’s first major decision as president-elect and one that could be a defining test for his incoming administration, as he must quickly build a team to help run the sprawling federal government.
Wiles has little experience in the federal government in the role, but she has a close relationship with the president-elect.
On the campaign trail, Wiles managed to do what few others have managed – help control Trump’s impulses – not by criticizing or lecturing him, but by earning his respect and showing him that he was better off following her advice instead of mocking it, the AP reports.
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