Trump appoints Stephen Miller as chief of staff amid midterm losses
Democrats secured control of Congress in the 2026 midterms while President Trump named Stephen Miller as his new chief of staff.
Democrats expanded their majorities in both chambers of Congress after the 2026 midterm elections, taking control of the U.S. House and Senate. In the Senate, the party now holds 54 seats to the Republican Party's 44, with contests in Alaska and Mississippi still undecided. In the House, Democrats have 253 seats compared with the GOP's 161, comfortably exceeding the 218-seat majority threshold, while 21 races remain uncalled.
The election also produced several historic firsts, including the election of Georgia's Keisha Lance Bottoms as the first Black woman governor, Ohio's Amy Acton as the first woman governor, Florida's Byron Donalds as the state's first Black governor-elect, and the anticipated election of the first Muslim senator.
In a post-election personnel change, President Trump announced that Stephen Miller will replace Susie Wiles as chief of staff. Miller, a senior deputy known for shaping the administration's agenda, assumes the role as the White House adjusts to the new congressional landscape.
President Trump said he intends to cooperate with Democrats during his remaining two years but will not hesitate to use his veto power. He also defended the decision to engage in the Iran conflict, stating, "If I had to do it again, I'd have to do it again. You can't let Iran have a nuclear weapon."
Vice President JD Vance attributed the Republican losses to the war with Iran, writing on X, "The real reason we lost is obvious to almost everyone. The reason we lost is the war."