Meet the two daughters of Susie Wiles, Donald Trump's new chief of staff

The President-elect of the United States of America Donald Trump announced his campaign manager, Susie Wiles to be his White House chief of staff after Democrat candidate Kamala Harris conceded to him in the US election.

Announcing Wiles’ position as the White House chief of staff, Trump said, “Susie Wiles just helped me achieve one of the greatest political victories in American history, and was an integral part of both my 2016 and 2020 successful campaigns.” As per Trump, Susie is ‘tough, smart, innovative, and is universally admired and respected’. He added, “It is a well-deserved honour to have Susie as the first-ever female Chief of Staff in United States history.”

Wiles, 67, will become the first woman to hold the position in the US history.

Who is Susie Wiles?

Born on May 14, 1957, Trump’s ‘ice baby’ Susie Wiles (67) is the daughter of Pat Summerall, who was a prominent football player and sportscaster. A long-time Florida-based political strategist, she has previously worked on Ronald Reagan's 1980 presidential campaign and helped Florida's Republican Governor Ron DeSantis win the election in 2018. Early in her career, she also worked for Republican US representatives Jack Kemp and Tillie Fowler. Wiles also served briefly as the manager of former Utah Governor Jon Huntsman Jr's 2012 presidential campaign. She served as a senior adviser on Trump's 2016 and 2020 bids.

Susie has been chosen by president-elect Trump to serve as the 32nd White House chief of staff in the second Trump administration, and is set to begin in January 2025. She will be the first woman to hold the position.

The two daughters of Susie Wiles:

Susie Wiles was married to Lanny Wiles, a Republican consultant, with whom she relocated to Ponte Vedra Beach, a suburb of Jacksonville, Florida, in 1985. The couple divorced in 2017. Wiles has two daughters Katie and Caroline.

Katie Wiles: Along with Susie, this US election has benefited Katie too as she received the news of her promotion just a day after Susie’s announcement as the White House chief of staff. Continental Strategy didn’t delay much to announce that it promoted Wiles's daughter Katie to be the director of its lobbying and consulting offices in Jacksonville and Washington D.C.

Just as Susie Wiles worked at Jacksonville City Hall during the administrations of mayors John Delaney and John Peyton, Katie Wiles worked at City Hall during Mayor Lenny Curry's administration from October 2021 through the end of his second term in June 2023 with the title of chief of communications. Continental Strategy announced the promotion of Katie Wiles a day after Susie’s news, and tied the firm to Trump's winning campaign for president.

According to Continental Strategy President Carlos Trujillo, who founded the firm in 2022, “We know she will shine in this new role and will provide new avenues for growth as we continue to build from the momentum of a landslide victory for President Donald Trump on Election Day.” The announcement said Wiles will continue to provide communications work for Continental Strategy's federal and state operations while adding lobbying and business development to her role in the firm's offices in Jacksonville and Washington, D.C.

Caroline Wiles: Caroline Wiles, another daughter of Susie Wiles, was one of several White House staffers who resigned from their positions after failing an FBI background check back in 2017. Back in Trump’s first term as the POTUS, Wiles was hired as deputy assistant to the president and director of scheduling. However, she was among six aides who couldn’t pass an intensive background check necessary to work in the White House — which requires the highest level of security clearance — according to Wiles. According to Politico, Tthe background check includes questions about credit scores, substance use and other personal subjects. After submitting her resignation, Wiles had said in a written statement, “It has been my honour to serve President Trump in the campaign and the transition. I resigned my position and look forward to serving the Administration in a new capacity.”