Trump names Stephen Miller as new White House chief of staff

US President Donald Trump has appointed his longtime adviser Stephen Miller as White House chief of staff. The announcement, made on Friday, comes as Trump doubles down on some of his most contentious policies following a heavy defeat for his Republican Party in the midterm elections earlier in the week.

Democrats are set to take control of both the House of Representatives and the Senate in January, and are expected to open investigations into Miller's role within the administration.

Miller, 41, has long been one of Trump's strongest defenders and is regarded as a key figure behind the president's mass deportation policy. In a post on Truth Social, Trump described Miller as one of his most trusted advisers and said he would officially take over the chief of staff position from Susie Wiles on Monday.

Before joining Trump's team, Miller built a reputation as a conservative activist. While attending Santa Monica High School, he criticised what he called liberal school policies on local radio programmes. Later, at Duke University, he led the Duke Conservative Union and became a prominent supporter of three university lacrosse players who had been accused of rape.