White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles took center stage at a glamorous Washington, DC, gala on Thursday evening as she received a prestigious award. The Independent Women's Forum, a conservative non-profit organization focused on policy issues, honored Wiles with its Barbara K. Olson Woman of Valor Award at the Waldorf Astoria on Thursday evening.
Past recipients of the award include Trump's current Director of National Intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, who spoke at the Independent Women's Policy Summit earlier in the day. Unlike many of her predecessors, Wiles prefers a behind-the-scenes role and is rarely the center of attention.
Heather Higgins, chairwoman of the Independent Women's Forum, presented the award and then participated in a fireside chat with the honoree. At one point, she asked Wiles, 'When you think about the legacy of your work, what do you hope people will say about your impact?' Wiles candidly responded, 'I'm not. I've not thought about that. Not leaving anytime soon.'
President Donald Trump, although not in attendance in person, delivered remarks via a pre-recorded video. 'The woman of valor, that is Susie, come to think of it. Not only is Susie the first female chief of staff in American history, she's also one of the best White House chiefs of staff ever in history, I say the best, actually. I'm tremendously grateful for her friendship, loyalty, and support every single day. She's a real professional,' Trump shared.
'It's been especially inspiring to see her courage and toughness in recent weeks as she's been winning a battle with cancer, winning it decisively. It was an early diagnosis, so she's going to be in great shape,' he added. 'Susie played a key role in every one of my campaigns for president, but especially in 2024 when she helped lead us to perhaps the most consequential election victory in modern times.'
Wiles, 68, shared on Thursday that she has been coming to work every day since being diagnosed with cancer nine weeks ago in March. She also offered an inside look into White House operations, noting that since she needs a full night of sleep, she takes the early calls and Dan Scavino is the night owl on the President's team.
'Everything we have done here in the White House has been with her help and her leadership. She's respected by everybody. Every one of these people respects Susie. We have a problem. I say go to Susie, we owe her a tremendous debt, and what she's done is just incredible for our country. Thank you to Susie and congratulations,' Trump noted, concluding his remarks.
Other top administration officials were also in attendance at Thursday's gala, including cabinet secretaries and other members of the President's inner circle. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, Energy Secretary Chris Wight, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum, Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr, Senior Director for Counterterrorism Sebastian Gorka, and FBI Director Kash Patel were all present.
Patel's girlfriend, Alexis Wilkins, performed the national anthem to open the 2026 Independent Women's Forum gala in Washington. The 27-year-old aspiring country star sang the anthem under the soft glow of chandeliers during a lavish dinner, with images of American flags displayed on screens behind her. Tickets and sponsorships for the event, which promoted Wilkins as the entertainment, ranged from $500 to $500,000. Patel, 45, watched as his girlfriend of over three years sang the national anthem. The gala was one of Boston-born Wilkins' first appearances in the spotlight since the White House Correspondents' Dinner, which was derailed by an attempted shooting.
