President Donald Trump dismissed White House senior adviser Susie Wiles on Saturday, November 7, installing Stephen Miller as her successor. The plan collapsed. Wiles had arranged a secret Camp David meeting for Saturday, hoping loyal aides could engineer her survival, but the president aborted it before it began.
The off‑site gathering was set for the presidential retreat, with invitations sent to aides aligned with Wiles. It was meant to map a strategy to retain her role despite the Republican Party’s midterm defeat. When Trump learned of the plan, he ordered the meeting cancelled and flew to Florida, where he spent the weekend. The abrupt cancellation signaled the end of Wiles’ last‑ditch power play.
A senior Pentagon official told reporters that Wiles was trying to push Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth out to deflect blame for the party’s loss. > "Susie was trying to push out Pete," — senior Pentagon official
According to a source close to the president, advisers repeatedly warned Trump that Wiles’ team was leaking stories about Hegseth to shift scrutiny away from her own position. The source said the leaks had begun to irritate the president, contributing to his decision to replace her.
The White House will focus on post‑election messaging while Miller assumes control of the senior adviser office. Why It Matters: With Miller at the helm, the administration is likely to tighten messaging discipline and sideline any further attempts to scapegoat senior officials.
Trump’s Florida trip on Saturday marks the final chapter of the aborted Camp David scheme, and insiders expect an internal review of campaign communications to be launched within days.