With the appointment of Susie Wiles as the top White House staff job, a significant glass ceiling has been shattered in Washington. Wiles, a Florida operative and Trump campaign manager, will be the first woman to ever hold the second-most-important office in the West Wing, the chief of staff post.
This position is among the few remaining jobs in the federal government that have never been occupied by a woman. While the presidency has been held by men for 245 years, Kamala Harris made history as the first woman to serve as vice president, despite her recent loss.
Most other senior positions in the government have been filled by women, including nearly all Cabinet posts, top judicial seats, and Congressional leadership roles. However, there are exceptions such as defense secretary, where no woman has assumed the top Pentagon position or served on the joint chiefs of staff.
Furthermore, a woman has never held the position of chief justice of the Supreme Court. The absence of a woman in the chief of staff role had been a source of frustration for many women who worked in various White Houses, who aspired for the office to be occupied by a woman.
In acknowledging this historic moment, Trump stated, 'It is a well-deserved honor to have Susie as the first-ever female Chief of Staff in United States history. I have no doubt that she will make our country proud.'
