New White House chief of staff Miller shuts door on big business

Under previous chief of staff Susie Wiles, many CEOs had a channel that helped them soften Trump administration policies or seek favors. The replacement of White House chief of staff Susie Wiles with her hardline deputy Stephen Miller shuts the door through which many CEOs softened Trump administration policies or sought favors, and sets the stage for more direct confrontation with business in the second half of Trump’s term. Even CEOs skeptical of Trump’s chaotic style and his hostility to trade and immigration found that they could, with the help of Wiles and now-former tech czar David Sacks, talk Trump out of his aides’ most aggressive immigration moves, from worksite raids to canceling TSA PreCheck. Former Robert F. Kennedy Jr. adviser Calley Means complained on CBS News Sunday that Wiles helped big business foil Kennedy’s health plans. Now CEOs are unsure who to call, a top DC lobbyist tells Semafor — and aren’t sure that Miller, whose career focus has been on stopping immigration, is inclined to take their side with Trump.