Updated Sept. 27, 2026, 8:25 a.m. ET
White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles says her recent battle with breast cancer gave her a “deeper appreciation” for her purpose in life.
In an exclusive essay for USA TODAY, Wiles opened up about her experience navigating cancer treatment while continuing to serve as one of President Donald Trump’s most trusted aides during a tumultuous period in his second term.
Wiles was diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer in mid-March. After six months of treatment, she said Sept. 16 that doctors declared her cancer-free.
“The balance was not easy. There were days when strength just meant fighting the disease with all I had,” Wiles wrote in the piece, published Sept. 27.
She said her work at the White House helped carry her through difficult periods of her cancer journey.
“It reminded me that I was still myself – and that my life was about more than my disease,” she said.
When she was first diagnosed, Wiles said that “nearly one in eight women in the United States” would face similar breast cancer diagnosis in their lifetime, citing statistics from the American Cancer Society.
“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 at the time.
Wiles is a longtime aide of Trump, having worked on his campaigns since 2015. After she served as co-campaign manager for his 2024 presidential campaign, Trump promoted Wiles to the role of chief of staff.
She previously worked as a scheduler for President Ronald Reagan’s 1980 campaign under his chief of staff, James Baker, and under Vice President Dan Quayle during George H.W. Bush’s administration. She has led several other campaigns, including Ron DeSantis’ bid for Florida governor in 2018.
In her opinion article, Wiles reflected on what it was like to continue serving in one of the “most demanding jobs imaginable” while dealing with the mental and physical challenges of fighting the illness.
She thanked her family, medical team, White House staff and the president for supporting her. “I will always be grateful to President Donald Trump for the kindness and compassion while I was undergoing treatment,” Wiles wrote.
Calling chemotherapy “a b—-,” Wiles said she had “come through the hardest part” of her cancer journey.
“The next stage will require a serious commitment to rebuilding what treatment took from me,” she said.
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