Susie Wiles teams up with Melania Trump for new White House role after rumors swirled of her demise

WASHINGTON — White House chief of staff Susie Wiles stepped into a new role on Monday amid rumors she was on the rocks with President Trump, with a powerful new ally at her side.Wiles, nicknamed “the Ice Maiden,” will serve as co-chair of First Lady Melania Trump’s new task force on women’s health. Seated in the first seat of the front row of the Rose Garden ceremony, Wiles beamed as President Trump praised her: “As many of you know, Susie recently won her battle against a very tough opponent, breast cancer.”“She’s tough,” he added.“She’s a tremendous fighter.”Wiles stood on stage in her aviator sunglasses as both Trumps signed the executive order creating the task force, accepting one of the pens used in the signing as a gift from the president. She didn’t speak, but her message was clear: reports of her political death have been greatly exaggerated. It was a week ago that Wiles was fighting reports her tenure as chief of staff was in trouble after Trump hired Katie Zacharia as his press secretary — a major staff position — without her input and staff were squabbling about who would take the blame if Republicans got trounced in the November midterm election. Being subject of Washington’s favorite parlor game of musical staffers is never pleasant, but the president himself defended her, saying there “zero chance” of her firing and that she was “going to be here for a long time.”A month ago she was still battling breast cancer. But Monday’s outlook was sunnier. Wiles is now cancer-free as of September and was literally at the center of the new White House initiative.  “I am especially grateful for First Lady Melania Trump’s leadership in championing women’s health,” Wiles wrote on social media after the event.“This is deeply personal to me.

Having gone through breast cancer myself, I know firsthand the importance of early detection, medical research, and quality care.”“I am grateful to the President a...