There’s a whole lot more to Susie Wiles than meets the eye. She looks like a grandma straight out of central casting. But when Donald Trump’s demure campaign operative becomes the first ever female White House chief of staff come January,

Donald Trump has announced that Susie Wiles, the manager of his successful campaign for the White House, will be his chief of staff, bringing the veteran Republican strategist and long-time Trump ally out from behind the scenes and into the hot seat.

One journalist who has studied her career sees a connection between her tempestuous childhood and her ability to function inside the chaos of Trump world.