Trump comes to Susie Wiles' defense and denies seeking to replace her amid speculation: 'It's a fake story. She's going to be here for a long time'

Donald Trump came out on Friday to back Susie Wiles, his chief of staff, and denied that he has plans to replace her, calling the reports and speculation of the past few hours a "fake story."

The response comes after two days of conflicting reports about Wiles' future, which brought internal White House tensions into the spotlight just weeks before the midterm elections, in which Republicans will attempt to maintain their majority in Congress while polls show the Democrats as favorites.

It all began on Thursday with a report from Playbook, Politico's newsletter. Citing four sources, the outlet claimed the president had called several allies to ask whether it was time to replace the White House chief of staff.

In those conversations—again, according to Politico—several names emerged as possible successors. One of the names most frequently mentioned was Stephen Miller, deputy chief of staff and a central figure in the administration's immigration policy, perhaps the president's top priority.

Also mentioned were Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Bill Pulte, former Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy and Randy Levine, president of the New York Yankees.

The first reaction came that very same day. Trump accused Politico of disregarding the facts and said in a statement to the outlet that he retains full confidence in Wiles.

White House spokesperson Danielle Alvarez echoed this sentiment: "These anonymous sources know nothing."

On Friday, speaking to the press, the president revisited the issue to put the matter to rest.

"The Susie Wiles story was a fake story," the president said, who also stated that there is no chance of firing her, that he couldn't be happier with her, and that his chief of staff is "going to be here for a long time."

Despite the rumors, Wiles is a trusted confidante of Trump. She was the strategist who led his 2024 campaign, is the first woman to serve as chief of staff, and is often credited with bringing stability to a team that, during his first term, was plagued by firings and infighting. Last month, she was declared cancer-free after undergoing treatment while remaining in office.

The upcoming November 3 election explains much of the current climate. With polls showing unfavorable results for Republicans, those close to the president anticipate that, if the results are poor, someone will pay the political price. Some Republican sources, however, point out that the party's biggest liability isn't the White House staff, but rather the war with Iran and its impact on energy prices and inflation.