It seems like President Trump has to constantly dispute things that are reported by the so-called ‘mainstream media,’ and he had to do so again over the weekend.
Trump forcefully rejected reports that he is considering replacing White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, declaring there is “zero chance” she will be removed and saying his longtime adviser will remain in the administration “for a long time.”
The president’s comments came after Politico Playbook reported Thursday that Trump had privately solicited opinions from allies about Wiles and discussed possible candidates to succeed her, citing four people with direct knowledge of the conversations.
Among the potential replacements reportedly mentioned were White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy Stephen Miller, New York Yankees President Randy Levine, former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, special envoy Steve Witkoff and Bill Pulte.
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Trump, however, publicly dismissed the report twice in two days and left little ambiguity about his stated position when questioned by reporters Friday.
Asked whether he was considering replacing Wiles, Trump responded, “Zero chance,” before describing the underlying report as false.
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Trump praised Wiles as “smart” and “tough” and said she had been “incredible” during his second administration.
“The Susie Wiles story was a fake story. She’s been incredible. We’ve had, maybe, the most successful two years—and it’s not even two years—in the history of the presidency,” he said. “She’s smart, she’s tough, she just went through a lot with the cancer surgery and the whole thing, and she recovered, fully recovered. She’s phenomenal.”
.@POTUS: “The @SusieWiles47 story was a FAKE story. She has been incredible… They made up Fake News, they released it knowing it was a fake story. Susie is here — and she’s gonna be here for a long time.” https://t.co/EBE6mEeFWt
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) October 16, 2026
Wiles announced in September that she had fully recovered and thanked her family, doctors and Trump for supporting her during her treatment.
Trump went further Friday by accusing Politico of publishing the story despite the White House explicitly denying its central claim before publication.
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“The only one that matters is me because I’m the one that makes the decision,” Trump told reporters, adding that Wiles would remain at the White House.
His remarks followed an equally emphatic statement Thursday in which he described the Politico report as “TOTAL FAKE NEWS” and said Wiles retained his “COMPLETE confidence.”
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The outlet reported that some Wiles rivals and other figures who believe they have been sidelined by the chief of staff have been encouraging Trump to consider a change while sharing unfavorable coverage about her and her family.
Other reporting has cast doubt on the idea that Wiles is actually in danger of losing her position, with nearly a dozen Trump advisers and administration officials telling Semafor they were skeptical that the president intends to remove her.
One administration official called the speculation “absurd,” while another Trump adviser suggested the rumors were being promoted by people attempting to position themselves for Wiles’ job.
Wiles has been one of Trump’s most important political advisers for years and played a central role in managing his successful 2024 presidential campaign.
After Trump defeated Kamala Harris, he selected Wiles as White House chief of staff, making her the first woman in American history to hold the position.
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Her tenure has also been considerably more stable than Trump’s first-term experience with the position, when Reince Priebus, John Kelly, Mick Mulvaney and Mark Meadows each served as chief of staff or acting chief of staff.
Wiles has developed a reputation for attempting to impose greater organizational discipline on Trump’s second White House while remaining largely outside the television spotlight occupied by many other senior administration officials.
The latest speculation arrives at a particularly sensitive moment for the administration, with Republicans preparing for the November 3 midterm elections and Trump increasingly focused on protecting the GOP’s congressional majorities.
It also comes amid other personnel turbulence inside the White House, including the extraordinarily brief tenure of press secretary Katie Zacharia, who left the position Friday after only days on the job.
This article may contain commentary which reflects the author’s opinion.
