Susie Wiles and Chris LaCivita: Top minds behind Donald Trump’s election victory

Donald Trump was declared the winner of the US presidency on Wednesday. Hours before the announcement, he took to the stage to claim his historic victory over Democrat Kamala Harris. He was flanked by his family, friends and top political supporters. Later, Trump expressed his “tremendous appreciation” for Susie Wiles and Chris LaCivita, the top Trump campaign advisers.
Susie and Chris are co-campaign managers. Here’s all you need to know about them:
 
After Trump’s historic victory in the US presidential elections 2024, Wiles could land a high-flying job. One of Trump’s two co-campaign managers, Wiles is seen as the odds-on favorite to be Trump’s White House chief of staff, Reuters reported.
Wiles is credited with running a successful and efficient campaign. Supporters hope she would instill a sense of order and discipline that was often lacking during Trump’s first term, when he cycled through a number of chiefs of staff. However, the specifics of her political views are somewhat unclear.
Trump spokesperson Karoline Leavitt had earlier told Axios, “…Susie Wiles is managing a team of professionals, and ensuring Team Trump is taking the necessary steps to prepare for a successful transition back to the White House following President Trump’s victory on Tuesday.”
According to US Today, Susie Wiles was a top staff member for Jacksonville mayors John Delaney and John Peyton before she became a well-known figure in political circles.
She also served as chief of staff for Delaney and worked on the successful campaign for a half-cent sales tax supporting the Better Jacksonville Plan that was the signature achievement of his time as mayor, the report added. Wiles also worked on The River Accord to improve the health of the St. Johns River.
According to the report, Wiles was also behind Rick Scott’s successful campaign for governor in 2010. She lead Trump’s win in Florida in 2016 when he was elected president. She was a senior adviser on Ron DeSantis’s winning run for governor in 2018.
In an interview with USA TODAY, Wiles said she views herself as a team player and having other staffers be the public-facing part of the campaign allows her “to do a better job” orchestrating the mechanics.
No just as Trump’s close aide, Chris LaCivita is also knows for a few controversies. He is a longtime Republican political strategist with a career working on high-profile campaigns throughout Virginia and nationally. He served in the role of co-campaign manager for Donald Trump’s third presidential bid with Susie Wiles since 2023.
According to CNN, LaCivita first gained national recognition during the 2004 presidential election for his role in the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth campaign, the group that sought to undermine and attack Democratic nominee John Kerry’s military record.
After the 2021 US Capitol riots, LaCivita was reportedly among those who blamed Trump and his “lies” for the January 6 violence. The post, which was shared on the evening of January 6, was later deleted from LaCivita’s feed, CNN reported.
Few days back, Daily Beast reported that LaCivita received nearly $22 million from his work on the Trump campaign. This included money from Super PACs. These allegations reportedly left the former US President Trump enraged, and he even considered firing LaCivita after these developments, reports claimed.