The Ice Maiden Cometh: Can Susie Wiles, Trumps Chief of Staff, Survive?

Susie Wiles, President-elect Donald J.Trump’s incoming White House chief of staff, begins her days at 7:30 a.m.

in the West Palm Beach transition headquarters.But by 2 p.m.

she has typically parked herself a few feet from Mr.Trump for a daily five-hour marathon in his office, the former Mar-a-Lago bridal suite.“The president is a night owl and I’m an early bird, so the sweet spot is 2 to 7,” she said in a recent interview.As Elon Musk and staff members file in and out, Ms.

Wiles and the president-elect go over plans for Trump II: executive orders for Day 1.Deportations.

A massive border, energy and tax cut bill.Upcoming congressional hearings for cabinet nominees.

And more stacks of appointments.“It’s everything from who wants to be the ambassador to Portugal to what kind of deputy does Marco need?” Ms.

Wiles said, referring to Senator Marco Rubio, Mr.Trump’s choice to be secretary of state.Her goal is to have 2,000 out of 11,000 appointments done by the Jan.

20 inaugural.There were only 25 completed by the first Trump inaugural in 2017, when Ms.

Wiles was not in the administration.Chaos reigned over four years in the West Wing.“So I’ve heard,” said Ms.

Wiles, whom the president-elect calls the “Ice Maiden” for her coolheaded nature.This time, she said, “I feel pretty comfortable that I can instill order at the staff level.”The president-elect is another matter.

Ms.Wiles, 67, the first woman to hold one of the most important and precarious jobs in Washington, will move in less than two weeks into the large West Wing office once inhabited by the powerful James A.

Baker III during the Reagan administration — and also the four men defeated in the position in Mr.Trump’s first term.We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.

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