After Susie Wiles was criticized for alleged lobbyist ties, Chief of Staff Stephen Miller has a new rule for White House staffers
New leadership, new approach.
White House staffers now need prior approval from the Office of White House Counsel if they want to meet with a lobbyist on the White House grounds. According to The Hill, this new rule comes directly from a memo issued by Stephen Miller. Miller is the new White House Chief of Staff. He replaced Susie Wiles in this position after the recent elections. This change marks a significant shift in how the administration handles outside influence.
The memo states that the prior approval requirement covers meetings on the White House complex with registered lobbyists related to government policy. A White House official described this as a much stricter process than what was in place before. The directive does not create a total ban on all meetings. It specifically targets those involving administration policy on White House grounds. The Office of Public Liaison will still act as the main point of contact for engagement with external stakeholders.
This policy adjustment, first reported by POLITICO, follows a period of criticism directed at the previous leadership. Susie Wiles faced scrutiny from some administration officials over her alleged ties to lobbying groups. Former senior health adviser Calley Means was vocal about these concerns. He claimed Wiles and her former deputy chief of staff James Blair held back the Make America Healthy Again agenda.
Means said Wiles chose to side with corporate donors instead of supporting the administration’s goals
Means spoke about this on the Joe Rogan Experience podcast last week. He said, “Just as a statement of economic facts; Susie Wiles, her career has been taking money from the industries and foreign governments who would pay her the most money. That’s what she did. Nobody disputes that.” Means resigned from the Department of Health and Human Services last month. He cited frustrations with the lack of progress on the health agenda as his primary reason for leaving.
The White House has pushed back against these claims. A spokesperson for the White House, Allison Schuster, released a statement regarding the situation. She said the administration “has never allowed and will never allow outside groups to influence policy decisions.”
Schuster also highlighted the current work of the president. She noted that the administration is busy executing the America First agenda. She pointed to the largest working-class tax cuts in history and over a million private sector jobs added to the economy. Schuster also mentioned a sealed shut border and the lowest violent crime levels seen in nearly a century.
Miller’s memo arrives after the GOP experienced a difficult time during the midterms
Republicans lost their majorities in both the House and the Senate. Democrats secured wins in several states that were previously considered red. This includes states like Texas, South Carolina, Kansas, and Mississippi. While the campaigns were largely focused on the economy, affordability, and the Iran war, the issue of corruption was also a theme for many voters.
Miller is now navigating a role that requires him to manage the White House and mediate between cabinet members and senior officials. According to The Jerusalem Post, he also has to handle a Congress controlled by Democrats. Miller has a history of pushing for the fulfillment of promises made by the president. He often clashed with other institutions while doing so.
Miller recently spoke about his new position while at Mar-a-Lago. He expressed strong dedication to the president. He said, “If it were not for President Trump, the United States would not exist today. This man saved America.” He continued, “He saved our military from collapse, our economy from destruction, and our border from ruin.”
Miller then addressed the president directly to pledge his support. He said, “It is the greatest honor of my life to be your chief of staff. I pledge to you, Mr. President, my absolute loyalty, my unwavering commitment, and my complete dedication to your success and the success of this country.”
The memo itself frames the new rules through the lens of this loyalty. It states, “No President in history has fought more relentlessly, selflessly or courageously for the American People than President Trump. Following his example, White House staff are expected to dedicate their time unwaveringly to the working people of the nation.” The directive was distributed to all White House employees on November 12.
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