Trump, nominations kick off: veteran Susie Wiles first woman chief of staff. At Commerce favoured the super hawk of tariffs Lighthizer

The first appointment of Donald Trump has arrived: she will be Susie Wiles his chief of staff, the White House chief of staff, one of the most delicate positions and one that requires the complete trust of the President. And Wiles, who becomes the first woman to hold the post, certainly has what it takes: for years she has been the real organising brain of the Trump campaigns. Most of all, she is credited with the unprecedented discipline of the campaign, which, despite the candidate's extemporaneous outings, has fine-tuned and executed without error a strategy rewarded by success at the polls. So much so that Wiles was considered the clear favourite for the position: 'That seat is hers if she takes it,' one Trump adviser had said.

Fundamental steps, as co-chair of the 2024 campaign: the creation of a lean and reliable staff, without internal tensions. And heterodox decisions that turned out to be right: saving resources for a final publicity blitz and entrusting the mobilisation of voters on the ground to parallel organisations, such as that of Elon Musk but not only. Despite her crucial role, she has always avoided the spotlight: she did not take the microphone on stage even on the night Trump celebrated his victory. Trump publicly thanked her, calling her the Ice Maiden for her unflappable calm, determination and attention to professionalism.

"Susie is tough, smart, innovative and universally admired and respected. She will continue to work tirelessly to Make America Great," Trump said. "It is a wholly deserved honour to be appointed the first woman chief of staff in the history of the United States. The country can be proud of her'. Again: 'She helped me achieve one of the greatest political victories in American history'. By Trump's own confidants she was considered the single most important person in the campaign, keeping tabs on every detail including Trump's appointments and travels. In a recent and rare interview with the Wall Street Journal she had said, speaking of the circle of voices around the now-candidate: 'I may be the first in the village, but it's a village'.

At 67 years of age, wearing mirrored sunglasses, Wiles boasts a long career in politics. She made her bones as a consultant for years in battles in Florida, now Trump's favourite residence and campaign headquarters. She arrived in Trump's court in 2016, with her first presidential campaign focusing on Florida. The two had seen each other at Trump Tower in 2015 giving birth to the partnership. Wiles switched sides with Ron DeSantis when the latter ran for governor of the state, guiding him to success in 2018. However, he later called the connection with DeSantis, who became Trump's rival in the last Republican primary, the "biggest mistake" of his life. And in the failed 2020 campaign he was again with Trump.

In 2021, she was put in charge of the fundraising organisation Save America created under Trump's aegis and rose through the ranks, chosen as one of the senior campaigners of the last campaign since its launch. She kept characters who could damage the candidate at bay most of the time. And her choice to remain behind the scenes despite the crucial role she played was particularly appreciated by the President-elect who does not like her shadowing him.