Overview
- President Trump named Stephen Miller chief of staff after the 2026 midterms and the change in his role was finalized when his wife moved to remove potential conflicts over the weekend.
- Katie Miller ended her employment at SpaceX, sold her SpaceX shares, forfeited unvested equity from that work, and abandoned a planned podcast deal with Paramount, according to people familiar with the moves.
- White House lawyers had for months advised Miller to recuse himself from matters touching his wife’s consulting and equity interests, which had kept him out of AI, space policy, and Paramount-related issues.
- A White House official confirmed that those recusals have been lifted and Miller may now attend and take part in all meetings and policy decisions.
- With Democrats controlling both chambers of Congress and rising public concern about conflicts of interest, the change increases the likelihood of oversight or inquiries and shifts who controls access to senior officials.