Inside Stephen Miller’s aggressive first week as Trump’s chief of staff

Stephen Miller spent his first week as President Donald Trump’s chief of staff sending a clear message across the West Wing: He’s no Susie Wiles. The new top aide has sought to quickly consolidate control within the White House and distance himself from his ousted predecessor, signaling plans to overhaul key procedures and personnel as the administration girds for a final two years of political warfare. Miller’s aggressive early moves, including issuing a pair of memos purporting to empower Cabinet secretaries and restrict lobbyists’ influence, surprised many White House officials and allies who interpreted them as direct shots at Wiles — and a response to criticism in the MAGA base over how she directed the first two years of Trump’s presidency, leading up to November’s disastrous midterm losses. “Stephen’s in the driver’s seat now,” said one Trump ally.