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The White House · Report · File No. 261112-180

Only 3 of Trump's 8 women in top roles remain; every departure was replaced by a man

Susie Wiles' exit as chief of staff, days after the midterm loss, leaves three of eight women Trump first named to top jobs. Democrats say women take the blame while men facing criticism stay.

By the White House Desk · · 2 min read

Every quote in this story (2) was matched word for word against its source. How we work

My clippings
Susie Wiles
Susie Wiles. Photo: The White House, Public domain

Of the eight women President Donald Trump first appointed to his Cabinet or senior-level positions, only three remain, Newsweek reported Thursday. They are Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, Education Secretary Linda McMahon and Small Business Administration chief Kelly Loeffler 1.

The latest departure came after the midterm elections. White House chief of staff Susie Wiles, the first woman in that job, stepped down three days after the Republican defeat, and Trump replaced her with Stephen Miller, the architect of his hard-line immigration agenda 1.

On tapeCBS News · Nov 6
Nov. 6: Trump announces Miller will replace Wiles as chief of staff, in CBS special reportVideo: CBS News on YouTube, “Trump replaces Susie Wiles with Stephen Miller as chief of staff | Special Report”. It plays from YouTube when you press play.

Four exits in three months

Every woman who left was replaced by a man, according to Newsweek's account 1. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem was fired March 5 after backlash over her response to the killings of two U.S. citizens by immigration agents in Minneapolis. Markwayne Mullin succeeded her 1.

Attorney General Pam Bondi left in April. Trump had grown frustrated with her handling of Jeffrey Epstein files and with what he saw as a failure to pursue his political enemies. Todd Blanche replaced her 1.

From Channel GOPOcasio-Cortez shows almost no ethics laws bind presidentsAlexandria Ocasio-Cortez · 938 plays · captioned, with the source named

Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer also resigned in April after an internal investigation alleged that she had been having an affair with a staffer and had misused travel funds. Keith Sonderling now holds the job 1.

Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard resigned in May, citing her husband's cancer diagnosis. Reports said she had been sidelined over Iran. Jay Clayton became her permanent replacement 1.

How Wiles left

ABC News reported that Trump was privately blaming Wiles for the midterm losses, and that she submitted her resignation Thursday night. Trump told reporters he “wanted to make a change,” though he said she had done a good job 2.

Axios reported that a day earlier Wiles had told staff “we have no intention of backing down” after the GOP's defeat 1.

Men facing criticism stay

Critics note that several men under fire have kept their jobs. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth narrowly survived an impeachment vote this week. FBI Director Kash Patel has been accused of excessive drinking, assigning a SWAT team to protect his girlfriend and using a government plane for personal trips. Patel has denied the accusations 1.

Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick has faced calls to resign over reports that he visited Epstein's island in 2012. Newsweek says all three men have kept the White House's support 1.

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
Trump only seems to have the capability to fire female secretaries
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, U.S. Representative, Democrat-New York1

Trump's defenders say each exit had its own cause, including an inspector general's findings and a husband's illness 1. The White House rejected the criticism, saying Trump picks people on merit 1.

President Trump has assembled the greatest administration in history, selecting each member of his incredible team based on one criterion: their ability to deliver for the American people
Taylor Rogers, White House spokesperson1

What it means

That matters because Trump opened his second term boasting about women in his Cabinet. He told a Women's History Month event last March that he was “thrilled” to be the most female-friendly Republican president in history 1.

Democrats also object to the choice of Miller. Sen. Andy Kim of New Jersey said he is the most dangerous person in the administration and should be fired rather than promoted, according to ABC News 2. Whether more turnover follows now that Democrats take over oversight in January is not yet known.

The Record

  1. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem is fired; Markwayne Mullin succeeds her 1.
  2. Tulsi Gabbard resigns as director of national intelligence, citing her husband's cancer; a man later replaces her 1.
  3. Susie Wiles submits her resignation as chief of staff, ABC News reports 2.
  4. Trump announces that Stephen Miller will replace Wiles 2.
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Sources

  1. Newsweek, “Trump Boasted About Women in His Administration. Then the Midterms Hit” (2026-11-12). newsweek.com/trump-boasted-about-women-his-administration-th
  2. ABC News (ABC7), “Trump says chief of staff Susie Wiles out, Stephen Miller will replace her” (2026-11-08). abc7.com/story/trump-says-chief-staff-susie-wiles-miller-wil

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