Susie Wiles received the Independent Women's Forum's valor award Thursday night, and President Donald Trump used a surprise video tribute to cast his White House chief of staff as one of the defining figures of his political rise.
Trump said Wiles was the first female White House chief of staff in American history and called her one of the best to ever serve in the role. He said she played a key part in every one of his presidential campaigns, including 2016, 2020 and 2024, and helped lead what he described as perhaps the most consequential election victory in modern times.
Wiles told News Digital she was deeply honored to receive the Barbara K. Olson Woman of Valor Award and said it reflected a shared mission to protect liberty, expand opportunity and strengthen the lives of American families. She said she was grateful, humbled and more committed than ever to continuing that work.
The award carries the legacy of Barbara K. Olson, the Independent Women Forum founder who was killed in the Sept. 11 attack on the Pentagon. That history gives the honor a sharper edge than a routine ceremony, tying Wiles' recognition to a moment of national loss and to a conservative movement that has long framed itself around resilience and public service.
The tension in Trump's tribute was personal and political at once. He praised Wiles' friendship, loyalty and professionalism, but also said she has been winning a battle with cancer, a fight he said was diagnosed early and is now moving in the right direction. The public salute underscored how central she has become inside the White House, and how much of Trump's governing operation now runs through her leadership.
Trump said everything his administration has done in the White House has been with Wiles' help, and he added that everyone there respects her. For Wiles, the award was a public marker of influence; for Trump, it was a reminder that one of his most trusted aides is still shaping his presidency while facing a serious health challenge.
