In Susie Wiles, Trump picks quiet competence for chief of staff

By Alexandra Ulmer and Steve Holland

(Reuters) -When Donald Trump took the stage in West Palm Beach, Florida, to claim victory in last week's presidential election, he called his campaign manager Susie Wiles out from behind a row of his relatives to thank her.

"Susie! Susie! Susie likes to stay sort of in the back," the Republican Trump said as Wiles, 67, came forward and shook his hand.

Trump invited Wiles to address the crowd. She shook her head several times and quickly retreated to the back of the stage.

That self-effacement is characteristic of Wiles, a longtime Florida-based Republican strategist whose shrewd strategies, low profile, and work ethic are credited with helping Trump stage a stunning political comeback, culminating in his Nov. 5 victory in the presidential election.

During his victory speech, Trump added, that, while Wiles - whom he described as an "ice maiden" - liked to stay in the background, his victory had changed things: "She's not," Trump said, "in the background."

As president-elect, Trump's first appointment was tapping Wiles as chief of staff of his incoming administration, immediately transforming her into one of Washington's most important powerbrokers. He takes office on Jan. 20.

In interviews with around a dozen advisers, donors and allies, Wiles was described as a publicity-shy loyalist who helped craft Trump's winning message to Hispanics and working-class Americans. Along the way she also became a rare steadying influence on the famously mercurial Trump.

"She was one of the few people who would sit in a room and give the president advice and he would take it," said Ed McMullen, a Trump fundraiser and his previous ambassador to Switzerland.

Wiles and her campaign co-chair Chris LaCivita also helped Trump land major endorsements and relentlessly attack Harris, and developed the successful strategy of campaigning on his multiple criminal indictments.

To be sure, Wiles did not manage always to keep Trump on script. And as his campaign manager, she is ultimately responsible for overseeing the darkest election campaign in recent U.S. history.

On the trail, Trump vowed retribution against political opponents, used racist, anti-immigrant rhetoric that demonized immigrants and said migrants who entered the United States illegally were "poisoning the blood" of the country. He frequently used apocalyptic language to describe a nation he said was in ruins and questioned whether his Democratic opponent, Vice President Kamala Harris, was Black.

It is not clear what role Wiles played in crafting those statements - Trump frequently veered off prepared speeches - or in Trump's decision to embrace even darker rhetoric in the closing weeks of the campaign.

Wiles, who sources said strived to steer clear of palace intrigue, is the only Trump campaign manager to have survived an entire campaign cycle without getting kicked out or demoted. Trump's 2016 and 2020 campaigns, for example, were characterized by infighting, leaks to reporters and firings.

As chief of staff, Wiles will face an even greater challenge to keep both Trump, 78, and his administration in check.

Trump cycled through four chiefs of staff during his chaotic 2017-2021 presidency. However, none of the four - Reince Priebus, John Kelly, Mick Mulvaney or Mark Meadows - had worked with Trump day-to-day on his campaign before being named to the job.

As chief of staff, Wiles will manage White House staff, organize the president's time and schedule, and maintain contact with other government departments and lawmakers.

Influential pro-Trump lobbyist and donor Brian Ballard said Wiles would provide "sage counsel" to Trump.

Wiles, who got her start on Republican Ronald Reagan's 1980 presidential campaign and went on to work for several moderate Republicans, declined to comment on her future role.

A LOW PROFILE LOYALIST

While Wiles prefers to keep a low profile, she is no pushover, and politicians are loathe to cross her.

After falling out with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, whose 2018 gubernatorial campaign she is credited with helping to revive, she was hired by Trump to manage his Florida operation during his failed 2020 campaign.

Her knowledge of DeSantis later helped the Trump campaign go on an early blitz against the Florida governor in the 2024 Republican presidential primaries, in which Trump easily sidelined DeSantis, once seen as his heir apparent.

McMullen, Trump's former envoy, described Wiles as a calm manager who never raises her voice, does not seek to micromanage staff and is not out for personal glory.

"You'll never see Susie Wiles write a book about her experience, good or bad," McMullen added.

When Wiles joined the 2024 campaign, McMullen said, she immediately reached out to the leadership team in key states to tell them she would always be available. She also conducted bi-weekly calls with important Republicans, McMullen said, which kept "the backbiters at bay."

Wiles' personal history may have also helped set her up for this moment. Wiles is the daughter of the late Pat Summerall, who was a prominent football player and sportscaster.

"Susie had a father very much like Donald Trump, who is demanding and highly regarded in the public eye," McMullen said, adding that that experience has helped Wiles work with Trump.

A veteran of Trump's first White House tenure said Trump gravitates toward two types of people: Those who go on cable news networks to defend him and others who are quietly competent.

"She happens to be one who puts her head down and works very hard," the source said.

(Additional reporting by James Oliphant; Editing by Colleen Jenkins, Ross Colvin and Alistair Bell)