White House aides scramble for Susie Wiles’ job as midterm losses loom, MAGA activists float martial law, and the GOP’s billion-dollar ad blitz fails to move polls

White House aides who had kept internal clashes muted are now openly angling for power as they brace for widespread midterm losses. Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, housing official Bill Pulte, and EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin are among those positioning for chief of staff if Wiles steps down after the election. The jockeying intensified after Trump named Katie Zacharia press secretary without consulting Wiles. Politico reported Thursday that Trump has been calling allies and asking who should replace her. Trump called the report “TOTAL FAKE NEWS” and said Wiles has his complete confidence. One ally described the past week as “the new Wild Wild West.”

Separately, MAGA election activists have discussed martial law and the seizure of ballots if they conclude the November results are “rigged.” On a September 30 Rumble call, lawyer Peter Ticktin, a childhood friend of Trump, said “there would have to be martial law in the event… [of] another rigged election.” He later told Axios that officials would “probably need to be commandeering of ballots and election equipment.” Legal experts note martial law does not authorize overriding state election laws.

Meanwhile, Republican groups have spent more than $740 million on House and Senate races since Labor Day, including at least $220 million from Trump-linked groups. Elon Musk has given another $276 million to Republican committees since July. With less than three weeks until Election Day, Democrats lead in polling averages across nine of the Senate’s most competitive races—little changed from before the spending. Republicans have begun shifting money from offense to defense in once-safe states.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2026/10/16/trump-white-house-power-struggle-wiles/

https://www.axios.com/2026/10/16/trumps-maga-allies-openly-discuss-martial-law

https://www.cnbc.com/2026/10/16/republicans-midterms-spending-trump-musk-2026.html