Two days after President-elect Donald Trump’s decisive victory in the 2024 presidential election, Susie Wiles was appointed as his White House chief of staff, signaling the president-elect’s intention to prioritize order and discipline in his second term.

Since then, Wiles has acted swiftly, issuing a stern warning to administration officials that internal discord would not be tolerated under her leadership.

In her first interview since taking on the role, Wiles shared her vision for a West Wing free from the factionalism and infighting that marked Trump’s first term.

“I don’t welcome people who want to work solo or be a star,” said Wiles in an email to Axios. “My team and I will not tolerate backbiting, second-guessing inappropriately, or drama. These are counterproductive to the mission.”

During the early days of Trump’s first presidency, the West Wing became a chaotic environment marked by power struggles, leaks, and competing agendas. Wiles, who was not part of the administration at that time, is determined to prevent a recurrence of those dynamics.

Setting her sights beyond the commonly discussed first 100 days of a new administration—what she calls “an artificial metric”—Wiles believes the critical period will be from the inauguration to the 2026 midterms. During this key two-year span, with Republicans holding full control of Congress, her focus will be on moving forward aggressively.

Wiles stressed a strategy that involves “getting off to a quick start and staying on that pace, together with an expectation of excellence every day.” She explained that the agenda is focused on “engendering public support” to fulfill Trump’s commitments and policy goals.

Those priorities include increasing energy production, eliminating redundant and burdensome regulations, maintaining low taxes, reducing government waste through the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), “and most importantly, sealing the border and deporting criminals who are in this country illegally.”

Wiles then set the record straight and put her foot down regarding her expectations about administration staff and personnel.

“The West Wing staff is a mix of new and veterans — many are young, all are prepared to work punishing hours,” adding, “To my core, I believe in teamwork. Anyone who cannot be counted on to be collaborative and focused on our shared goals isn’t working in the West Wing.”