Deputy chief of staff Richard Walters leaves White House as Stephen Miller takes over

Richard Walters, a White House deputy chief of staff, is leaving the administration. He is a longtime ally of Susie Wiles, whom Stephen Miller is replacing as chief of staff ¹. The departure was reported Nov. 8 ².

Walters is the first major departure since President Trump named Miller to the post ². Axios reported that Walters offered his resignation on Friday, the same day Trump announced Miller's appointment. A person familiar with the matter called the exit amicable ².

On tapeABC News · Nov 6

▶4:00

What Miller and Walters said

Miller confirmed the news in a statement to Fox News. He called Walters "an invaluable member of the White House" ¹. He said Walters will "continue to help from the outside" ¹.

an invaluable member of the White House

Walters thanked Wiles in a statement to Axios, as quoted by The Insight International. He did not give a reason for leaving ². A White House official told Fox News Digital the decision was "very amicable" ¹.

From Channel GOPHakeem Jeffries on corruption after the midtermsHakeem Jeffries · 1.4K plays · captioned, with the source named

How the shakeup unfolded

Fox News reports that Wiles handed in her resignation Thursday night. Trump named Miller chief of staff on Friday and called him one of his "most trusted advisors" ¹. Miller takes over Monday, Nov. 9 ¹.

Wiles is moving to Trump's political operation ². Trump chose Miller, described as the architect of many of his hardline immigration policies, after Republicans lost control of both the House and the Senate in the midterm elections ².

On tapeCBS News · Nov 6

▶6:33

Walters is a veteran Republican operative and one of Wiles' closest political lieutenants. The two have worked together for more than a decade ². He was the longest-serving chief of staff in Republican National Committee history and was executive director of Trump's 2025 inaugural committee ². Fox News, citing the LegiStorm database, says he was appointed to his White House role in May 2026 ¹.

What happens next

Fox News reports that Miller is preparing to install his own leadership team ¹. No replacement for Walters has been named, and the coverage describes no other changes yet ².

Walters said Miller "is building an incredible and capable team to implement the President's agenda" ². The incoming team will face a Democratic-led House and Senate and a wave of expected congressional investigations ².

Why it matters

That matters because Miller's views are already well known. In January, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, of New York, criticized Miller's role in immigration enforcement. Jeffries wrote on X that Miller is "one of the malignant architects of the violence and brutality DHS has unleashed on the American people" ³. DHS is the Department of Homeland Security.

The White House answered at the time. Spokeswoman Abigail Jackson rejected Jeffries' criticism and accused him of repeatedly lying about and smearing federal law enforcement officers ³. Miller now leads the staff, and the people he picks will help decide how the White House deals with the new Democratic majorities.

The pattern so far is of a White House loyal to Trump's closest advisers. The staffers who remain, and the ones Miller brings in, will say a lot about whether the White House changes course or keeps its current direction.

The Record

1. May 1, 2026Walters appointed to his White House deputy chief of staff role, according to LegiStorm, as cited by Fox News ¹.
2. Nov 5, 2026Susie Wiles handed in her resignation as chief of staff on Thursday night ¹.
3. Nov 6, 2026Trump named Stephen Miller chief of staff, and Walters offered his resignation the same day ¹².
4. Nov 9, 2026Miller is set to take over as chief of staff on Monday ¹.

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<h2>Deputy chief of staff Richard Walters leaves White House as Stephen Miller takes over</h2> <p><em>By The GOP Files White House Desk. This article first appeared on <a href="https://thegopfiles.com/story/deputy-chief-of-staff-richard-walters-leaves-white-house-as-stephen-miller-takes">The GOP Files</a> on Sunday, November 8, 2026.</em></p> <p>Richard Walters, a White House deputy chief of staff, is leaving the administration. He is a longtime ally of Susie Wiles, whom Stephen Miller is replacing as chief of staff . The departure was reported Nov. 8 .</p> <p>Walters is the first major departure since President Trump named Miller to the post . Axios reported that Walters offered his resignation on Friday, the same day Trump announced Miller&#39;s appointment. A person familiar with the matter called the exit amicable .</p> <h2>What Miller and Walters said</h2> <p>Miller confirmed the news in a statement to Fox News. He called Walters &quot;an invaluable member of the White House&quot; . He said Walters will &quot;continue to help from the outside&quot; .</p> <blockquote><p>an invaluable member of the White House</p><p>&mdash; Stephen Miller, incoming White House chief of staff, Republican</p></blockquote> <p>Walters thanked Wiles in a statement to Axios, as quoted by The Insight International. He did not give a reason for leaving . A White House official told Fox News Digital the decision was &quot;very amicable&quot; .</p> <h2>How the shakeup unfolded</h2> <p>Fox News reports that Wiles handed in her resignation Thursday night. Trump named Miller chief of staff on Friday and called him one of his &quot;most trusted advisors&quot; . Miller takes over Monday, Nov. 9 .</p> <p>Wiles is moving to Trump&#39;s political operation . Trump chose Miller, described as the architect of many of his hardline immigration policies, after Republicans lost control of both the House and the Senate in the midterm elections .</p> <p>Walters is a veteran Republican operative and one of Wiles&#39; closest political lieutenants. The two have worked together for more than a decade . He was the longest-serving chief of staff in Republican National Committee history and was executive director of Trump&#39;s 2025 inaugural committee . Fox News, citing the LegiStorm database, says he was appointed to his White House role in May 2026 .</p> <h2>What happens next</h2> <p>Fox News reports that Miller is preparing to install his own leadership team . No replacement for Walters has been named, and the coverage describes no other changes yet .</p> <p>Walters said Miller &quot;is building an incredible and capable team to implement the President&#39;s agenda&quot; . The incoming team will face a Democratic-led House and Senate and a wave of expected congressional investigations .</p> <h2>Why it matters</h2> <p>That matters because Miller&#39;s views are already well known. In January, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, of New York, criticized Miller&#39;s role in immigration enforcement. Jeffries wrote on X that Miller is &quot;one of the malignant architects of the violence and brutality DHS has unleashed on the American people&quot; . DHS is the Department of Homeland Security.</p> <p>The White House answered at the time. Spokeswoman Abigail Jackson rejected Jeffries&#39; criticism and accused him of repeatedly lying about and smearing federal law enforcement officers . Miller now leads the staff, and the people he picks will help decide how the White House deals with the new Democratic majorities.</p> <p>The pattern so far is of a White House loyal to Trump&#39;s closest advisers. The staffers who remain, and the ones Miller brings in, will say a lot about whether the White House changes course or keeps its current direction.</p> <p><em>Read the original, with every source linked, at <a href="https://thegopfiles.com/story/deputy-chief-of-staff-richard-walters-leaves-white-house-as-stephen-miller-takes">thegopfiles.com</a>. Republished under The GOP Files' <a href="https://thegopfiles.com/republish">free republishing terms</a>.</em></p> <img src="https://thegopfiles.com/api/rp/deputy-chief-of-staff-richard-walters-leaves-white-house-as-stephen-miller-takes.gif" alt="" width="1" height="1" style="border:0;width:1px;height:1px">

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Sources

1. Fox News, “Deputy White House Chief of Staff Richard Walters exits job ahead of Stephen Miller takeover” (2026-11-08). foxnews.com/politics/deputy-white-house-chief-staff-richard-
2. The Insight International, “White House deputy chief of staff Richard Walters resigns as Stephen Miller takes charge” (2026-11-08). theinsightinternational.com/white-house-deputy-chief-of-staf
3. Fox News, “White House blasts top House Democrat as a 'buffoon' after Jeffries brands Stephen Miller a 'hateful bigot'” (2026-01-29). foxnews.com/politics/white-house-blasts-top-house-democrat-b

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