White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles has been diagnosed with breast cancer and will continue in her role as she undergoes treatment.

“Nearly one in eight women in the United States will face this diagnosis,” Wiles, 68, said in a statement on Monday. “Every day, these women continue to raise their families, go to work and serve their communities with strength and determination. I now join their ranks."

US President Donald Trump praised Wiles calling her “an amazing fighter”.

“Susie, as one of my closest and most important advisors, is tough and deeply committed to serving the American People,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “She will soon be better than ever!”

Wiles will continue to work “virtually full time at the White House” while undergoing treatment, Trump wrote.

She did not share details of her treatment plan, but said doctors had detected the cancer early and she had a “strong prognosis”.

Wiles is the first woman to serve as White House chief of staff. Considered the most important White House staff role, chiefs of staff keep the president’s agenda on track.

Shortly after her announcement, Wiles joined Trump at an event to discuss the Kennedy Center, Washington’s premiere performing arts venue that the president has sought to dramatically reshape and redesign in his image.

“She’s an amazing person and an amazing fighter, and she announced a minor difficulty which will be in good shape,” Trumps said, patting her on the shoulder. “She’ll be around for a long time.”

A longtime political operative, Wiles played a key role in Trump’s political comeback and shepherded his 2024 campaign to victory.

She is widely viewed as the most critical and influential of Trump’s aides.

Last December, Vanity Fair magazine published interviews with Wiles reflecting on her time working for Trump.

Her blunt statements – she described Trump as having an “alcoholic’s personality”, though Trump does not drink – circulated widely around Washington, but Trump defended her.

At the time, Wiles said Vanity Fair’s story omitted “significant context” to create “an overwhelmingly chaotic and negative narrative” about the White House.

The article illustrated Wiles’ approach to working with Trump’s personality and instincts, rather than trying to curtail them, as some chiefs of staff from Trump’s first term attempted to do.

The US saw an estimated 316,000 new cases of female breast cancer in 2025, according to the National Institutes of Health. (BBC)

•White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles has been diagnosed with breast cancer, Donald Trump says. (AP: Alex Brandon)

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