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 the stage to announce his historic victory over Democrat Kamala Harris. He was flanked by his family, friends and leading political supporters. Trump later expressed his “tremendous appreciation” for Susie Wiles and Chris LaCivita, Trump's top campaign advisers.

Susie and Chris are co-campaign managers. Here's everything you need to know about her:

After Trump's historic victory in the 2024 US presidential election, Wiles could land a high-profile job. As Reuters reported, Wiles, one of Trump's two campaign managers, is the clear favorite to become Trump's chief of staff in the White House.

Wiles is credited with executing a successful and efficient campaign. Proponents hope it would instill a sense of order and discipline that was often missing in Trump's first term, when he cycled through a series of chiefs of staff. However, the details of her political views are somewhat unclear.

Trump spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt previously told Axios: “… Susie Wiles is leading a team of professionals, ensuring Team Trump takes the necessary steps to prepare for a successful transition back to the White House following President Trump's victory on Prepare for Tuesday.”

According to US Today, Susie Wiles was a top staffer for Jacksonville mayors John Delaney and John Peyton before becoming a well-known figure in political circles.

She also served as Delaney's chief of staff and worked on the successful campaign for a half-cent sales tax in support of the Better Jacksonville Plan, which was the signature achievement of his time as mayor, the report continued. Wiles also worked on the River Accord to improve the condition of the St. Johns River.

According to the report, Wiles was also behind Rick Scott's successful campaign for governor in 2010. She led Trump's victory in Florida in 2016, when he was elected president. She was a senior adviser on Ron DeSantis' victorious run for governor in 2018.

In an interview with USA TODAY, Wiles said she considers herself a team player and the fact that other staffers are the public part of the campaign allows her to “do a better job” orchestrating the mechanics.

Not only Trump's close confidante Chris LaCivita is also known for some controversy. He is a longtime Republican political strategist who has spent his career working on high-profile campaigns across Virginia and nationally. Since 2023, he served as co-campaign manager for Donald Trump's third presidential bid alongside Susie Wiles.

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 attempted to undermine and attack Democratic candidate John Kerry's military record.

Following the 2021 US Capitol riots, LaCivita was reportedly among those who blamed Trump and his “lies” for the violence on January 6th. The post, shared on the evening of Jan. 6, was later deleted from LaCivita's feed, CNN reported.

A few days ago, the Daily Beast reported that LaCivita received nearly $22 million from his work on the Trump campaign. This also included money from super PACs. These allegations reportedly infuriated former US President Trump and he even considered firing LaCivita following these developments, reports said.