By Chris Barbieri 
Photo Credit: (Doug Mills/The New York Times)
Prior to assuming office earlier this year, President Donald Trump had a major responsibility: naming the members of his immediate senior staff.
U.S. Presidents typically rely on a team of close advisors, known as senior staffers, who are appointed directly to the Executive Office beyond the purview of Senate confirmation. These aides serve as key voices on political issues and agenda matters, helping the president shape executive policy and guide decision-making.
Now back in the White House, President Trump has a new team of aides, all of whom have lengthy histories of supporting him and his agenda.
Chief of Staff Susie Wiles
The chief of staff plays a crucial role in maintaining the organization of the president’s team. They oversee all staff within the Executive Office and typically have the closest contact with the president.
Susie Wiles, 67, is the current chief of staff to President Trump and the first woman to hold the position. A seasoned political operative, she has extensive experience working in American politics, notably behind the scenes of Ron DeSantis’ 2018 Florida gubernatorial campaign. She also served as Trump’s chief strategist for Florida in his 2016 presidential campaign.
After a fallout with DeSantis, Wiles returned to Trump’s inner circle to head his Florida campaign in 2020 and became CEO of the Save America PAC following his reelection loss. Leading up to the 2024 election, Wiles was chosen as Trump’s co-campaign chair. Shortly after his victory, Trump announced Wiles would serve as his new chief of staff.
Wiles has carried significant influence over Trump in executive decision-making. Nicknamed the “Ice Maiden,” she reportedly denied Department of Government Efficiency head Elon Musk an office in the West Wing close to the president. Wiles was also the first to mention Trump’s intent to reinstate several executive orders from his first term that former President Biden had revoked.
National Security Advisor Michael Waltz
The national security advisor serves as the President’s principal aide on all national security matters. The advisor also typically chairs meetings of the National Security Council, the body that coordinates executive policy on national security issues.
Michael Waltz, 51, serves as President Trump’s national security advisor. Before his appointment, Waltz was the representative for Florida’s 6th congressional district after being first elected in 2018. Before Congress, he served in the US Army Special Forces, completing tours across the Middle East and Africa in the early 2000s. Waltz also worked in the George W. Bush administration as a defense policy director and counterterrorism advisor to then-Vice President Dick Cheney.
Waltz officially joined the second Trump administration on January 20th, 2025, shortly after Trump’s inauguration. As national security advisor, Waltz has defended Trump’s agenda by retracting his support for the law banning the social media platform TikTok and defending Trump administration efforts to shut down the U.S. Agency for International Development.
Regarding foreign policy matters, Waltz has publicly supported Trump’s plan of a U.S.-led takeover of the Gaza Strip amid the Israel-Hamas war. Waltz has also played an unusual role in policy-making outside national security matters, being tasked alongside Vice President JD Vance to oversee a deal to acquire TikTok from Chinese owners.
Deputy Chiefs of Staff Dan Scavino & Stephen Miller
Serving as the principal aide to the chief of staff, the deputy chief of staff is a top voice in matters of executive policy and agenda. Modern administrations have used multiple deputies, with some focusing on specific agenda objectives. Two of Trump’s six deputies, Dan Scavino and Stephen Miller, play some of the more prominent advisory roles in his administration.
Scavino, 48, serves as the principal deputy chief of staff to the new Trump administration. His history with the President stems to 2008 when he worked at the Trump National Golf Club in Westchester, New York. Scavino joined Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign at its inception in mid-2015, playing a large role in the campaign’s social media presence and the President’s infamous tweets.
During the first Trump administration, Scavino was appointed as director of social media in 2017 and then ultimately deputy chief of staff for communications in 2020. During this time, Scavino saw much scrutiny, including an alleged Hatch Act violation in 2017 and, after Trump’s re-election loss in 2020, allegedly told a White House legal aide that the president would “not leave” office.
Miller, 39, currently serves as the deputy chief of staff for policy. Like Scavino, he joined the 2016 Trump campaign early on and later became a speechwriter during the president’s first term, helping write the 2017 inaugural address. Miller played a prominent role in shaping immigration policies like the 2017 Muslim travel ban and rules for separating migrant children from their parents during the first Trump administration.
Both Miller and Scvino have already played a leading part in the new Trump administration. Following Trump’s takeover of the Kennedy Center, a new board of trustees for the performing arts center included Trump as chairman and Scavino as a member. Miller, focusing more on policy, helped draft much of the executive orders signed by Trump on his first day in office and supported the tariffs on Canada, Mexico, and China during their proposition.
Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt
A more visible role within the White House bureaucracy, the press secretary carries the responsibility of being the administration’s primary spokesperson, famously in the White House press briefing room. Interaction with the media is vital for the press secretary, who often takes questions and relays important information regarding executive actions and important issues.
Trump appointee Karoline Leavitt serves as the 36th White House Press Secretary. At 27 years old, she is the youngest person to hold the position. During Trump’s first term, she interned as a writer for the Office of Presidential Correspondence and later worked as an assistant to former Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany. After a failed run for Congress in New Hampshire’s 1st district in 2022, Leavitt joined Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign as its press secretary.
Since her first press conference on January 28th, Leavitt has been outspoken in the new administration. She announced the White House’s intent to allow independent content creators and influencers access to press conferences. Following the blockage of several of the president’s executive orders by federal judges, Leavitt accused them of “abusing their power”. She has also downplayed recent criticisms of the administration causing a constitutional crisis after Trump attempted to halt federal program spending.