Trump Appoints Stephen Miller Chief of Staff, Offers Dana White Press Role
The White House reshuffled leadership following Republican midterm losses, with stock prices for Trump Media falling by a third.
By Naomi Tesfaye ·
Shares of Trump Media & Technology Group Corp. dropped by approximately one third following the midterm election results. The stock, which closed at 5.96 dollars on Election Day, traded at 3.99 dollars per share by the end of the week. Donald Trump holds the largest stake in the company through a trust managed by his oldest son.
The market reaction occurred within days of the election. On Wednesday, the day after the Republican Party lost its congressional majority, Trump spoke from the unfinished White House ballroom. He described the Iran war as a factor that likely hurt his party's standing. By Friday, his tone had shifted. He promoted Stephen Miller to White House chief of staff, replacing Susie Wiles.
Miller is an anti-immigrant ideologue who previously held a senior policy role. Wiles had served as his chief of staff prior to the swap. On Saturday, Trump announced on Truth Social that he had offered the vacant press secretary position to Dana White. White is the president and chief executive officer of the Ultimate Fighting Championship.
Trump described White as a violent fighter and warrior needed to defend the administration against the Lunatic Left. He later clarified the offer was a joke, noting that people called it a good idea. The two men are scheduled to meet on Monday. Trump also posted a meme on Sunday depicting UFC fighters attacking the press.
The leadership changes follow a stinging electoral rebuke. The Wall Street Journal editorial board declared the arrival of the Trump reckoning, identifying him as the main architect of the Republican collapse. The paper called for a debate on the party's direction after Trump. Even the New York Post, a longtime supporter, ran headlines noting the historical rebuke and citing JD Vance, who blamed Trump's Iran war for the losses.
Fox News faced direct criticism from the president. On election night, Trump stated the network bore responsibility for the losses by consistently featuring the opposition. Hosts such as Sean Hannity and Jesse Watters had long elevated Trump to cult status. Watters acknowledged that voters delivered judgment day, though he predicted Trump would be judged a bold leader in the long term.
Jonah Goldberg, editor in chief of The Dispatch, noted that Fox has ridden the tiger of Donald Trump for a decade. He described the relationship as a marriage of convenience for Rupert Murdoch. Goldberg said the network is accustomed to the cash flow but must figure out what comes after Trumpism without alienating its base.
Meanwhile, CBS News recorded the lowest primetime viewership of the six major TV networks on Election Day. Nielsen data showed 2.8 million viewers for CBS, trailing NBC at 6.7 million and ABC at 5.2 million. Bari Weiss has served as CBS editor in chief for over a year. Her tenure has included the firing of multiple 60 Minutes correspondents who raised concerns about editorial interference.
