White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer

White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles announced Monday she has been diagnosed with breast cancer.

Ms. Wiles, 68, stated in a press release that the disease was caught in its early stages and she will continue in her position. She is the first woman ever to serve as White House chief of staff and was the co-chairman of President Trump’s 2024 campaign.

She said she will soon begin a course of treatment that will last multiple weeks in the Washington area.

“Nearly one in eight women in the United States will face this diagnosis. Every day, these women continue to raise their families, go to work, and serve their communities with strength and determination. I now join their ranks,” she said.

Ms. Wiles said she is encouraged by a “strong prognosis” and told Mr. Trump about her diagnosis after she learned of it last week.

“I am grateful to have an outstanding team of doctors who detected the cancer early and are guiding my care, and I am encouraged by a strong prognosis,” she said. “I am also deeply thankful for the support and encouragement of President Trump as I undergo treatment and continue serving in my current role.”

Mr. Trump described her prognosis as “strong,” adding that Ms. Wiles has built “an effective team” and described her as one of his “most important and effective advisers.”

Ms. Wiles said the president has built “an effective team around him,” one that would ensure there are no disruptions to the West Wing during her treatment.

“During the treatment period, she will be spending virtually full-time at the White House, which makes me, as president, very happy!” Mr. Trump wrote on Truth Social. “Her strength and her commitment to continue doing the job she loves, and does so well, while undergoing treatment, tells you everything you need to know about her.”

Shortly after announcing her diagnosis, Ms. Wiles joined the president at a White House meeting with the Trump Kennedy Center’s board of directors.

Mr. Trump said at the event that Ms. Wiles “will be in good shape; she’ll be around for a long time.”

Other members of the administration and those on Capitol Hill offered sympathy and encouragement for Ms. Wiles.

White House Deputy Chief of Staff James Blair wrote on X that Ms. Wiles “will win this battle with grace,” while House Speaker Mike Johnson, Louisiana Republican, said that his family “joins with everyone else in praying for our dear friend Susie to make a quick and complete recovery.”

Rep. Lisa McClain of Michigan, the House Republican Conference Chair, wrote on X that she is praying for Ms. Wiles, calling her “one of the strongest fighters in Washington.”

Ms. Wiles did not say which treatment she would receive.

Roughly 300,000 women are diagnosed with breast cancer in the U.S. each year, according to data from the National Institutes of Health. Breast cancer survival rates are high, particularly when detected early, with a five-year survival rate of 92%, according to the American Cancer Society.

However, survival is heavily dependent on the stage and location. For example, localized cancer has roughly a 99% survival rate, but that drops to 33% for distant metastasis.

The daughter of famed NFL player-turned-broadcaster Pat Summerall, Ms. Wiles worked as the Florida campaign chairwoman for the 2016 Trump presidential campaign.

She later became an adviser to Mr. Trump, managing much of his post-presidential activities, including travel, fundraising and endorsements for the 2022 elections. She was one of two senior campaign officials who traveled with Mr. Trump to Butler, Pennsylvania, when he was shot in the ear by an attempted assassin in July 2024.