Trump campaign manager is favorite to become chief of staff – NBC New York

After Susie Wiles, the president-elect’s humble campaign manager, helped deliver Donald Trump’s improbable and landslide victory in the presidential race, she is considered The White House chief of staff will be the leader, according to six sources familiar with campaign discussions. NBC News reports..

In a world riven by rivalries, advisers credit Wiles’ ability to win Trump’s respect and corner big names. If elected, Wiles will become the first-ever female White House chief of staff.

“She has gained enormous respect among the staff as well as loyalty. She doesn’t play games. And she means what she says: During the campaign, she said we check egos at the door and encourage everyone to do the same,” said one campaign official who, like others involved in this article, was given ​​anonymity in order to speak candidly, or because they were not authorized to speak on the record. “The concept of the opposing team does not apply here.”

“Susie is as good as it gets,” said a second Trump campaign official. “She ran a great campaign and is respected by everyone, including Democrats, who recognize her talent. She would make an excellent chief of staff and would serve the President’s interests. After all, this is his White House.”

A third Trump campaign official said Wiles already serves as the de facto chief of staff and that many staffers want her to get the job. There will be a big meeting at campaign headquarters on Thursday, headed by Wiles.

The feeling among advisers is that if Trump persistently approaches Wiles, she will accept the job – and many hope she will.

“If she wants it, then it’s hers,” said an adviser familiar with the discussions. “Her attitude towards Trump and what she just helped achieve (winning by a huge margin) makes it an easy choice if that’s what she wants.”

Another Trump adviser said the job belongs to Wiles if she wants it. NBC News has reached out to Wiles for comment.

“If she really wants it, I’m not sure how competitive it will be,” said an adviser I know.

Trump is known to be superstitious and has kept his distance from the administration’s planning, which began in the final months of his campaign. But now planning begins in earnest, and the choice of who will lead his operation will be one of the most important as he looks to implement the massive program.

In a statement Wednesday, Trump’s transition team said his victory “has provided a mandate” for their agenda “that puts our country’s working men and women first.”

“As he selects the best people to join his team and the best policies to pursue, his transition team will ensure President Trump’s common sense agenda is implemented starting on Day One,” said two advisers appointed to lead his transition. Cantor Fitzgerald CEO Howard Lutnick and Linda McMahon, a cabinet member during the first Trump administration and a business executive.

The daughter of famed American football player and sportscaster Pat Summerall, Wiles led the staff through attempted murders, changing leadership on the Democratic ticket and a sharp decline in the polls.

“She would be everyone’s number one choice, but that’s his decision,” the first campaign official said.

The 2024 campaign marked the first time Trump kept his core campaign management team the same throughout the race, a dynamic that even he hinted at when speaking to reporters on Tuesday as he name-checked Wiles, who helped secure his victory in once purple Florida. in 2016.

“Some people say this is the best campaign they’ve ever seen, but in order for it to stick, you have to win,” Trump said as he voted. “My team…many of them are the same players, as you know, Susie.”

Praising Wiles during his victory speech on Tuesday, Trump shared her nickname and mentioned her important behind-the-scenes work: “We call her the ice maiden. Susie likes to stay in the background—she’s not in the background.”

“I think many of the president’s closest allies really see the value that their partnership has created,” said Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz. “They complement each other perfectly.”

Trump’s transition leaders include some of his longtime friends and allies: Lutnick, who often joined him in the final weeks of his campaign, including on his return to Butler, Pennsylvania, and McMahon, a former official in his first administration.

Other names actively being considered for the White House chief of staff position include Brooke Rollins, a former top Trump White House aide who now heads the Trump-affiliated America First Policy Institute, and former House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy.

Notably, Rollins was in first place during Lutnick’s performance at a Trump rally at Madison Square Garden last month. During appearance On Fox News Thursday, McCarthy said he would not be chief of staff and praised Wiles as someone who “would do a great job“

A campaign spokesman said Rollins and McCarthy have relationships with Trump, but only one candidate has the professional respect and loyalty of the staff.

“And this is Susie,” the man added.

This story first appeared on NBCNews.com. More from NBC News: